Security was tight with gun-toting para-military forces visible on rooftops. Nearly 3,500 policemen have been deployed in areas surrounding Lalgarh.
Union home minister P Chidambaram reached the Maoist heartland of Lalgarh in west Midnapore this morning, the first by a central minister since the anti-Naxal operations started there in June, amid unprecedented security and a 24-hour bandh call by Maoist-backed tribals.
Chidambaram, after arriving by a BSF helicopter from Kolkata at 8:05am, was driven in a bullet-proof car to the Lalgarh police station, barely 100 metre away from the heavily guarded helipad.
At the police station, Chidambaram was closeted with top police and administrative officials for an hour.
He was earlier received by District Magistrate NS Nigam, Superintendent of Police Manoj Verma and senior CRPF officials at the helipad. West Bengal home secretary Ardhendu Sen and DGP Bhupinder Singh were also present.
Chidambaram took stock of the anti-Maoist operations by the joint forces in Maoist-affected areas, officials said.
Security was tight with gun-toting para-military forces visible on rooftops. Nearly 3,500 policemen have been deployed in areas surrounding Lalgarh, which was wrested from the Maoists by the joint forces on June 20 last year.
Shops remained closed and one or two that did open were immediately ordered to down shutters by the security forces.
The 45 km Midnapore-Lalgarh road, particularly at Khadutola, once a stronghold of the Maoists, was guarded by para-military personnel in the midst of a 24-hour bandh called by the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) in West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts in protest against Chidambaram's visit.
Twenty preventive arrests were made from Jhitka jungle, Malbadi jungle and Lalgarh last night by the combined forces.
No weapon was found on them, police sources said.
The Maoists had yesterday triggered a landmine explosion at Choto Brindabonpur village.
Chidambaram last night met West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Kolkata and was understood to have reviewed the situation in Maoist-hit areas, where the joint operations have achieved success in last few days, as also the future strategy.
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