Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said that he respected the Orissa government's "judgment" in handling the hostage crisis last week and dismissed reports that he disagreed with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. "It's not important whether we agree or disagree. The matter was handled by the state government and it was a sensitive matter. They have handled it to the best of their ability," he said.
He referred to the Orissa government's decision to release five people, including a writer, three women and one driver of a car in exchange of District Collector of Malkangiri Veenil Krishna, who was abducted by Maoists along with junior engineer Pabitra Manjhi.
Chidambaram said if that the judgment had been taken by the government of Orissa as an appropriate response to a difficult situation and he respected that judgment. Asked about reports that he differed with Patnaik on release of alleged Maoists in exchange of the abducted IAS officer, Chidambaram asked the reporter to check with the authors of the story.
The home minister, however, said that the law and order situation in West Bengal was a matter of concern because of inter-party clashes between the Communist Party of India-Marxist
cadre and Trinamool Congress workers. "We have already dispatched 100 companies for deployment during the elections. If need arises more para-military forces would be sent to ensure free and fair elections in West Bengal," he said.
Moving on to the subject of Telangana, Chidambaram clarified that he would convene a meeting of parties from Andhra Pradesh on the Telangana issue only when all of them are "ready" to give their views. "It is only when all parties are ready to come and give their views then I can call a meeting," Chidambaram said when asked when he would convene a proposed meeting on the issue.
When questioned about the arrest of Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani in connection with a Hawala case, the home minister said, "The Delhi police had requested him to cooperate since they want to ask him a few questions but he said that he was not well. When they learnt that he was leaving for Srinagar they reached the airport and recorded his statement and allowed him to go."