Cong for 'middle path' in tackling Naxals

With senior leader Digvijay Singh’s attack on Home Minister P Chidambaram’s anti-Maoist strategy bringing to the fore differences in the party, the Congress today advocated for a ‘middle path’ to tackle the Naxal issue.

“We don’t agree with even using heavy artillery and bombing the areas while fighting naxals. We support a middle path,” a senior leader said on condition of anonymity, close on the heels of Singh’s view that treating it only as a law and order problem was not proper.

The party has, however, disapproved of Singh’s publicly expressing his differences with the home minister on the issue.

“Congress is a democratic party. Every one has a right to express his or her views but such views should be expressed within the party forums only,” AICC general secretary in-charge Janardan Dwivedi said.

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi also said the party, being democratic, encouraged different points of view to be aired but at the same time it expected that “these views should be aired only within the party forum and discipline”.