Click to play videoLalgarh: Security forces could hardly enter inside Lalgarh on Thursday and on Friday they were met by Maoist bullets as they tried to break into the area.
The security personnel on Friday faced stiff resistance as there was sporadic firing with the Maoists matched the gunpower of the police.
As the police took position, two companies of COBRA, a specialised anti-Maoist commando force, started sanitising the approach road to the Lalgarh, clearing landmines planted by the Maoists
"The operation is continuing. Our forces are on their way. They have suitably regrouped and reinforced... and the action will be taken up anytime from now," said West Bengal Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen.
Even as the police operations progressed slowly, reports suggested that top rung Maoist Leaders who were leading the agitation from the front have fled to Jharkhand, including Koteshwar Rao who spoke to CNN-IBN on Thursday.
The state's ruling Communist Party on India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee of giving tacit support to the Maoists.
"The game plan is not going.... not by the TMC only but by their rainbow alliances. That has been proved by the saying Kishanji (Maoist leader) that we helped them in Nandigram, now we seek the help in Lalgarh, said CPI-M leader Biman Bose.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram seemed to finally lend support to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
"Operation is going according to plan. But you can expect the unexpected and we must be prepared for the unexpected. But I sincerely hope that with the kind of caution we had advised... operation will be successful," said Chidambaram in New Delhi.
Armed with AK-47 rifles, Maoists also intercepted a group of mediapersons, ordered them to line up on the road and threatened to shoot them in West Midnapore district on Friday.
Meanwhile, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury has said that Maoist problem should be dealt with seriously.
"Centre can keep on alleging what they want to on whether we are reluctant in dealing with the situation or not. Cooperation needed between Centre and state to deal with the Maoist problem," said Yechury.
The challenge for the security forces is to minimise the bloodshed but with local tribals, mostly Maoist sympathisers, setting up human roadblocks and attacking the police at every corner, the road to liberate Lalgarh from Maoist control is going to be littered with danger for the security forces and political pitfalls for the ruling Left Front.
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