After wresting control over Ramgarh, the largest Maoist stronghold in West Midnapore district, the security forces on Sunday moved to nearby villages to flush out the ultras.
After wresting control over Ramgarh, the largest Maoist stronghold in West Midnapore district, the security forces on Sunday moved to nearby villages to flush out the ultras. "We are going to villages surrounding Ramgarh and consolidating our position and reassuring the people that they were now free from the fear of Maoists," Burdwan Assistant superintendent of Police Humayun Kabir told PTI. Asked when the next phase of the operations would begin, Kabir said, "It's difficult for me to say."
Meanwhile, security forces were manning pickets every half kilometer on the road connecting Salboni and Ramgarh, recaptured yesterday. Vehicles were being stopped and searched and people were being asked to show identity proof. DIG CID (Special Operations Group) Siddinath Gupta when asked if the forces would resume operations during the day, said, "It is not likely to happen, but it all depends on the situation."
The first phase of the operations were launched on June 20, when the central para-military forces and the police drove into Lalgarh police station and made it their base of operations. Meanwhile, Garbeta and Keshpur zonal committees of the
CPI(M) today took out a motorcycle rally between Chandrakona Road and Salboni. Nearly 1,000 party cadre took part in it.
"We have taken out the rally to restore peace in the area. We are against Trinamool Congress-Maoist nexus, which is responsible for the problem in Lalgarh," Keshpur CPI(M) Zonal Committee leader Santan Majhi told PTI. Yesterday, security forces marched into Ragarh from Kadsole in the north of Lalgarh in the second stage of the operations to reclaim territory from the Maoists.
Agitating tribals of West Midnapore, under the banner of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, backed by Maoists had launched a violent agitation since November against alleged police "atrocities" on them following a landmine blast at Salboni in which chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and two Union ministers had a narrow escape.
The Maoists went on the rampage targeting ruling CPI(M) cadres and offices and virtually took control of a large area after driving away the police and paramilitary forces.
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