Advani slams UPA Government for failure to combat Maoists

Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Oct.23 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K.Advani has criticised the UPA Government for its failure to combat the Maoists.

Addressing a news conference on the sidelines of his Jan Chetna Yatra here on Sunday, Advani said the government's policy on Maoists was shaky and undecided.

He hailed Chhahtisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for the measures taken to curb Maoist activities.

"To tackle naxalism, Chattisgarh's CM has been engaged in a battle whereas the centre's position on Naxals has been shaky and undecided," said Advani.

He condemned the attack on policemen by the Maoists and said that the train accident at Bilaspur was a tragedy. Advani also expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased.

Spewing venom against the Maoists, Advani said that the guerrillas were against democracy, the Constitution and wanted to gain power by means of violence.

"There is a misconception that Naxals (Maoists) are prevalent because there is poverty but all these assumptions are not correct. Basically the Maoists are against democracy, the constitution and by means of violence, they want to come into power," said Advani.

Taking a pot shot at the rich that used Swiss banks for siphoning of illegal wealth the money accumulated by them, Advani said that the support that he received for his anti-corruption tour and the demand to bring back black money was overwhelming. He added that the money deposited by Indian nationals in banks abroad was more than the combined black money deposited by all other countries

"I am glad to say that the support for this issue has exceeded all my expectations. It also identifies the fact that the common man is upset by both the issues of corruption and the black money deposited in foreign banks by wealthy people, the value of which has been estimated to be more than all the combined amount of black money deposited by other countries," said Advani.

Advani had kicked off his nationwide tour from Sitab Diara village in the eastern Bihar state, on October 11, that would cover 23 states and four Union Territories, which will see him traverse over 7,600 kilometres.

He had organised a similar Yatra (procession) in 1992, to mobilise people towards building a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Rama, in Ayodhya city of northern Uttar Pradesh state.

In 2004, he had again undertaken another chariot procession as he reiterated his demand to build the temple. (ANI)