Jairam Ramesh appeals Maoists to join mainstream politics

Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh on Saturday appealed to the Maoists to shun violence and join mainstream politics to contest elections.

"The Naxalites should abandon their violent path and come forward to join active politics to contest (elections)... India is the country of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautham Buddha and every Indian should follow their path of peace," Ramesh said.

He was addressing a public meeting at Chintapalli in the Vizag agency area.

Ramesh along with his ministerial colleague and Panchayat Raj Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo inaugurated as many as 59 multipurpose halls constructed across eleven tribal mandals in the district under the MPLADS.