Centre to meet CMs to discuss Naxal issue

The Supreme Court judgement on disbanding of Salwa Judum will impact on the anti-Naxal operations, says the Centre which is planning to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of Orissa and Jharkhand after Chhattisgarh's action on a new law on the issue.

Home Minister P Chidambaram also says that there are reports that CPI (Maoist) and the PCPA may be re-grouping in the Jangalmahal area of West Bengal which has been asked to be on alert.

"Well, I think it will," he said when he was asked whether the recent Supreme Court judgement on disbanding and disarming tribals deployed as Special Police Officers (SPOs) will affect the anti-Naxal operations.

"At least Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh (Raman Singh) strongly feels that this judgement will impact anti-Naxal operations," Chidambaram said.

The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh proposes to take some steps in the next couple of days including making a new law to govern SPOs, he said.

"I told him that I will await his (Singh) action because he is the principal respondent in the case. I will wait to see what Chhattisgarh does before I call the Chief Ministers of Orissa and Jharkhand," he said.

The Minister said SPOs were engaged in one manner or the other in anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh and in Orissa. The Supreme Court judgement applied only to engaging them in anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand.