BJP move to woo surrendered Naxals puzzles pundits, Cong

The latest move by ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh to woo surrendered Naxals to join the party has baffled not only the Opposition Congress but also a section of saffron leaders.

The issue came to light when Chhattisgarh home minister Ramsevak Paikre welcomed surrendered Naxals to join his party last week. The “innocuous” comment of the minister has snowballed into a major controversy with AICC general- secretary Digvijay Singh accusing BJP of creating a base in tribal- dominated Bastar, a Maoist stronghold, with the help of Left- wing radicals.

BJP’s move to draft surrendered Naxals established the party’s nexus with Maoists that had helped the saffron outfit win elections after elections in the conflict zone of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, Mr Singh told reporters.

Interestingly, criticism by Congress of BJP’s move to embrace surrendered Maoists has not deterred the saffron outfit from reiterating its stand.

On Tuesday, BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bastar Dinesh Kashyap restated that his party would roll out red carpet to welcome surrendered Maoists, indicating his party’s apparent stand on the “sensitive” issue. “It is good that more and more Naxals are giving up arms. But, I am not aware of my party wooing them. I cannot comment on the issue since it is very sensitive,” a BJP spokesman said.