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The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to hold direct talks with the outlawed People's War Group of the Communist Party of India, Marxist-Leninist, to find a permanent solution to the problem of left-wing extremism in the state.
Briefing reporters on Friday after an all-party meeting on the modalities for a dialogue, Home Minister T Devender Goud said all the parties had endorsed the government's decision to hold talks with the PWG.
"There will be direct talks facilitated by mediators," he said, hinting at the possibility of involving the Committee of Concerned Citizens to "mediate" with the extremists.
The all-party meeting felt that the government ought to look at the preconditions laid down by the PWG for the dialogue. The meeting emphasized that both sides (the government and the PWG) should work to create a peaceful atmosphere to facilitate talks.
Asked whether a time frame would be specified for initiating the dialogue or completing it, Devender Goud said, "The government is ready to hold discussions anytime".
Asked if the government would like to have the dialogue with the PWG leadership at the central organising committee or state committee level, he said, "Let them decide. We are ready to have talks with anyone."
The home minister clarified that no member of the opposition parties would be included in the team for holding the dialogue. The talks would be between the government and the PWG. "We will interact with opposition parties frequently about the developments."
Devender Goud said the government would inform S R Sankaran, CCC convenor, of Friday's decision to go ahead with the talks. "We are sending this message to the Naxalites through the media," he added.
Asked if the police would stop 'encounter' killings of Naxalites, the minister said, "We will discuss all these things."
The all-party meeting lasted two hours. Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president M Satyanarayana Rao, senior Congress politician K Keshav Rao, Telugu Desam Party general secretary Lal Jan Basha, Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K Chandrasekhara Rao, BJP floor leader N Indrasena Reddy and CPI-M state secretary B V Raghuvulu attended.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told the meeting that the government was committed to the dialogue.
He clarified, however, that the government would hold talks with the outlawed organisation, which has been declared a terrorist organisation under the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance, only within the framework of the Constitution.
Chandrababu Naidu suggested constituting an all-party team to conduct the dialogue, but the opposition parties rejected the idea, saying the government should hold direct talks and they would be available for consultations whenever the government needed help.
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