JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav slammed the opposition for playing "dirty politics" over the release of three Bihar policemen from the captivity of Maoists after eight days today, even as the RJD and LJP said the state government could not take credit for it.
Yadav criticised the RJD-LJP alliance and the Congress for "playing dirty politics" over tackling the crisis, and said, "but thank god it has ended now. It is a matter of great satisfaction and happiness. The state government took all precautions and steps to end the hostage crisis."
The people would have been more happy had the Maoists not killed BMP ASI Lucas Tete, a catholic tribal from Jharkhand, he alleged.
"What was his fault that Maoists took the extreme step? They should not have killed him." he said.
JD(U) national spokesman Shivanand Tiwari said "It is a matter of great happiness and we are not going to get into what leaders of opposition parties, including Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan have said on the release of the hostages.
"The police maintained constant pressure on the Maoists and sealed off their escape routes which resulted in the release," he said.
State BJP president Dr CP Thakur claimed that the state government had achieved major success in tackling the hostage crisis.
RJD and LJP chiefs Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan, however, maintained that the hostages had been released on humanitarian grounds and the Nitish Kumar government could not take credit for it.
Prasad said "the Maoists let off the policemen on humanitarian grounds, I don't know what the police and the state government did about it."
Renewing his appeal to Maoists to shun violence and return to the mainstream, he said, "Violence can't be a solution to any problem. They should join the mainstream," he told reporters here.
The LJP chief said the state government had failed to tackle the hostage crisis and the policemen, "who were at the mercy of Maoists had been let off on humanitarian grounds.
"Nitish Kumar and his government have been an abject failure to tackle the hostage crisis. It cannot take credit for the release of the policemen," he told reporters.
Had the state government taken steps from the day one, the Maoists would not have killed BMP ASI Lucas Tete, he said and claimed "the state government called an all-party meeting only under intense pressure from us. And, the result is visible today."
Both said that they were happy that the policemen had returned safely and shared in the happiness of their families.
Bihar PCC chief Choudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser, on the other hand said, "Whatever steps were taken by the state government were positive and good.
"It is not a time to criticise anybody or gain political mileage over the issue of tackling Naxalism which is a sensitive issue," he said.
Kaiser appealed to the Maoists to sit across the table to resolve their grievances and join the national mainstream.
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