The combined forces of the state armed police, CRPF, BSF, CoBRA Squad and EFR stormed into Lalgarh and took control of the police station.
The first step of "Operation Lalgarh" is over. The combined forces of the state armed police, CRPF, BSF, CoBRA Squad and Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR), on Saturday, stormed into Lalgarh and took control of the police station that had been under Maoist control for the last eight months.
However, the second phase will be even more difficult and long-drawn as the combined forces have to undertake the main task of combing the nooks and crannies of Lalgarh to trace the hardcore Maoists, operating behind the façade of the organisation "Public Committee for Resistance against Police Arocities".
Even top officials of the state police force leading the combined units also admit that the second phase will be even tougher than the first. Donned in battle-fatigue, a visibly stressed-out DIG (Midnapore Range), Parveen Kumar, told reporters at Lalgarh police station on Saturday morning that this is just a partial victory. "We are yet to achieve 100% success. The next phase would be more prolonged. It may take days and even weeks to accomplish final victory."
However, the second phase of "Operation Lalgarh" is unlikely to begin immediately. Highly-placed state government sources told DNA that, after returning from New Delhi on Saturday night, the state chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, will hold another round of meetings with top bureaucrats and police officials, where the final assault plan will be finalised. Meanwhile, the combat personnel of the combined force will have sufficient rest to start fresh combat with full zeal.
The operation started early on Saturday morning, with the combined forces taking sufficient backup and frontal operation security measures. Two anti-landmine vehicles led the convoys, to ensure protection of the combat personnel from any landmine blasts -- Maoists are skilled in planting them.
Simultaneously, forces started sanitizing the entire five-kilometer radius of Jhitka forest, the crucial entry point to Lalgarh.The first resistance came at Pingboni-Sarenga area, when a troop, led by Burdwan Police Superintendent Humayun Kabir, was greeted by bullets fired by Maoists. However, quick counter-attack by the security forces through self-loading Insas and AK-series forced the Maoists to retreat. The bomb disposal squad efficiently defused two landmines.
Finally, at around 11.30 am, security forces marched into Lalgarh police station, which was a virtual Maoist den for the last eight months.
Breaking her silence on Lalgarh for the first time, since the mayhem started more than a week back, Trinamool leader and Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee thundered on Saturday said that she wanted dismissal of the West Bengal government in 48 hours.
According to her, the entire Lalgarh issue has been pre-planned and set up by the state government. She said that Lalgarh was a state matter and the Centre was merely helping out. Since Maoists outfits in Chhattisgarh, MP and Jharkhand have been banned, she wants them banned here too.
On Saturday, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhatacharjee said Chhatradhar Mahato, president of the "Public Committee for Resistance Against Police Atrocities," an organization behind which the Maoists are unleashing terror, is "very much a Trinamool member". Mamata Banjeree, on her part said: "We expelled Mahato two years back. And the Trinamool has had no contact with him."
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