Government aware of Maoist-China link: Congress

After the government indicated that China may be a source of arms for Maoists, Congress today said the country's awareness of the issue shows it is prepared to take concrete actions.

"It is a very serious thing but the fact that we are aware of this serious issue shows we are alert and prepared to take concrete actions," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here.

Yesterday, home secretary GK Pillai had said, "Chinese are big smugglers... suppliers of small arms. I am sure that the Maoists also get them." Pillai made the statement when asked if the Naxals were having links with China. This is for the first time that someone high in the government has spoken about the possiblity of Maoists getting arms from China.

To queries regarding possibilities of some Congress men's involvement in the alleged money laundering scam in which former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda is entangled, the Congress leader said, "I do not know which all Congress leaders, about whom you are talking, are linked."

He stressed that Koda was prosecuted during a Congress regime and added that there was no question of the party supporting corruption.