Naxalites, terrorists talking of bullet can't be patriots: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Naxalites and terrorists believing in the policy of bullet instead of ballot cannot be termed as 'patriots or revolutionaries'.

"Those talking of bullet instead of ballot cannot be termed as patriots or revolutionaries as their major aim was to capture power in Delhi," Chouhan, who is the first non-Congress chief minister to complete five years in power on November 29, told PTI.

Chouhan was reacting to the remark of the celebrity author, Arundhati Roy, who has recently termed Naxalites as patriots.

He said not only just Naxalites, she has also termed terrorists in Kashmir as revolutionaries and demanded stern action against her.

"If those involved in such acts are termed as patriots or revolutionaries then no country in the world would be able to run its affairs," she said.

Chouhan also demanded from the Centre to declare all seven districts in the state as Naxal-affected so that funds can be allocated under security related expenditure (SRE) for ensuring additional security in these districts.

He said that though Naxal activities were effectively curbed in Madhya Pradesh, reports of their activities are still knocking in border districts like Sidhi, Singrauli, Dindori, Mandla and Anuppur. The other Naxal-affected districts in the state are Balaghat and Shahdol.

Though a proposal in this regard was pending with the Centre, it has not yet approved the same.