BJP asks UPA to firm up strategy to tackle Maoists

Advocating full-fledged anti-Naxal operations in affected states, the BJP today asked the Centre to firm up strategies to deal with the rebels and said the Opposition would extend full cooperation.

"Let the UPA firm up its plans to deal with Naxals across the country. The BJP is always there to extend all support," party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said here.

Claiming that Naxals could be tackled only by launching full-fledged operations in affected states, he said a section of Congress-led UPA were trying to "downplay the menace by linking its spread to poverty and lack of development".

"The UPA government should start full-fledged offensive against them without thinking of vote bank politics," he said.

Rudy, who yesterday visited families of security-men killed in Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh earlier this week, asked the Centre to expedite payment of compensation and other benefits to their kin on priority basis.

The bereaved families have complained to the visiting BJP leaders that they have received no payment from the Centre
yet, the BJP leader claimed. He also asked the Nitish Kumar
government to give additional financial assistance to them.

On party state in-charge Ananth Kumar asking Modi to campaign in Bihar despite the recent tensions with ally JD(U), Rudy said Kumar's stand was that of the party.

He indicated that Modi would indeed visit Bihar for electioneering despite objection by Nitish Kumar.