Click to play videoNew Delhi: Barely three days after 17 policemen are killed in a Naxal ambush in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district comes a statement from the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that pins the blame of Naxal activities on state work, Naxalism to have been resulted from lack of development.
The Prime Minister was echoing the views of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who last week blamed the growth of Naxalism on the lack of development.
This is a stand quoted by Naxal sympathisers opposed to the use of force against the Naxals. Manmohan Singh's remarks come even as the Home Minister has got a Cabinet nod to launch a major offensive against the red menace. The BJP was quick to cash in on the confusion in the ranks.
In fact, the Defence Minister AK Antony has added to the confusion. While he feels that the IAF should be given the powers to fire back in self defence, the MHA is opposed to offensive action.
Apparently, the UPA government has once against invited the charge of going soft on terror; ironically at a time when the Left and the BJP are in sync with the government on smoking out the red menace.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.