Mamata Banerjee's Lalgarh rally figures in Rajya Sabha again

Mamata Banerjee's controversial rally at Lalgarh again figured in the Rajya Sabha today with a BJP member asking home minister P Chidambaram if it was proper to give publicity to Maoists.

"Whether is it right to give publicity to Maoists or their ideology, as recently done by a cabinet minister," BJP member Ramdas Agarwal asked during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.

Though his party colleagues welcomed the poser, Chidambaram said, "The question has been framed in a general manner, therefore I would generally like to say that no one should support Maoists and the government will not encourage anybody who does so."

Agarwal urged chairman Hamid Ansari to allow a half-an-hour discussion on the matter.

Banerjee's rally at Lalgarh on Monday had rocked Parliament yesterday with an aggressive BJP and the Left joining hands to target the Trinamool Congress and seeking to embarrass the Centre over the railway minister's alleged hobnobbing with Maoists.