We won't give up arms: Maoist leader

A prominent Naxal leader on Thursday rejected Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's call to Maoists to abjure violence and take the path of democracy, saying there was no question of giving up arms.

Defending their armed struggle, Kisenji told PTI over the phone from an undisclosed location, "There will be arms in the hands of the people's liberation army as long as the state uses arms to throttle the voice of the people."

On Chidambaram's contention that Maoists must eschew the path of violence and adopt democracy and dialogue instead, he said "the politburo of the Communist Party of India – Maoist rejects the government's proposal to lay down arms and sit for talks."

He said, "The state should stop killing its own people and only then we will lay down arms."

Claiming that over one lakh paramilitary personnel had been deployed in Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh against Maoists, he said, "This cannot be conducive ground for talks.

"We know that the Indian Air Force and the ground forces will come down heavily in Chhattishgarh. We are ready," he said, reacting to Chidambaram's statement that the IAF would take adequate counter-measures to protect its helicopters and pilots from Maoist attacks.

Talking tough after the beheading of a Jharkhand police officer, Chidambaram had on Wednesday said the security forces would engage the Maoists till they abjured violence and the IAF will take steps to protect it from any Naxal attacks.