The Bihar chief minister today appealed to Maoists to free the three policemen held captive by them and promised safe passage to the ultras for talks 'irrespective of the outcome' to end the week-long hostage crisis.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today appealed to Maoists to free the three policemen held captive by them and promised safe passage to the ultras for talks 'irrespective of the outcome' to end the week-long hostage crisis.
"I am personally ready for holding talks with the Maoists. We guarantee providing full security and safe passage to Maoist representatives irrespective of the outcome. No police action will be taken," Kumar told reporters after an all-party meeting in Patna.
Kumar said he had come across media reports that a person called Avinash claiming to be a spokesman of the Maoists had asked for talks.
"But can the talks take place over phone? It is impossible to know their grievances unless they come forward for negotiation."
He said representatives from political parties would also be present during the talks.
The meeting, he said, expressed shock and strongly condemned the killing of Bihar Military Police ASI Lucas Tete by Maoists.
The Maoists had on Sunday kidnapped four policemen during a fierce encounter in Lakhisarai district and had later killed Tete. His body recovered from Lakhisarai yesterday.
Kumar, however, questioned the authenticity of the Maoist spokesman and said, "The same Avinash had purportedly telephoned media offices here claiming that the Maoists had killed SI Abhay Yadav following expiry of the deadline day before yesterday. We don't know the factual position about the person."
Noting that Tete's body was recovered from Lakhisarai yesterday, he said, "You can well imagine the authenticity of the claim of that invisible person."
Earlier, DGP Neelmani briefed the all-party meeting about the hostage crisis and the ongoing operation against the Maoists.
Representative of various political parties, including state RJD chief Abdul Bari Siddiqui, its senior leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan, LJP leader Maheshwar Prasad Singh, Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra, Left parties and BSP attended the meeting called by Nitish Kumar.
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