Naxal violence: Time not for blame game, says Buddha

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was recently targeted by Home Minister P Chidambaram, today said this was no time for blame game and called for 'collective responsibility' in tackling Naxal menace in the wake of the Dantewada massacre.

Describing the Naxal situation as very serious, a conciliatory Bhattacharjee said, "This is not the time to blame anyone. This is not the time to blame each other. It is time to work together. It's a collective responsibility and we must work collectively."

The Chief Minister said this when asked for his response to Chidambaram accepting full responsibility earlier in the day for the Maoist attack in Chattisgarh in which 76 CRPF men were killed and for the home minister's remark that the 'buck stops' at his desk.

"Until and unless we work collectively it is very difficult to tackle Maoist violence," he said.

Bhattacharjee had on Monday hit back at Chidambaram for his comments after a visit to Lalgarh that 'the buck stopped at the chief minister's table' on maintaining law and order in West Bengal and asked him to "mind" his language.

An angry Bhattacharjee had said Chidambaram’s remark criticising him for inter-party clashes in the Left-ruled state was not the 'language of politicians'.

"What is the situation in the country now? He should perform his own duty. I am carrying out my responsibilities," the chief minister had said.

Bhattacharjee today said he would talk to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Naxal issue after his return from a week-long visit to the US and Brazil beginning tomorrow.

"We should revamp our plans and operations. That is very important," he said, adding "all of us should give the matter a serious thought."

The chief minister said his government was trying to improve its operations against the Maoists.

"I am not satisfied with the situation (on account of fight against Maoists). We have to do more," he said.

At his press conference today, the chief minister also said Trinamool Congress was "hand-in-glove" with Maoists and that he had conveyed this to  Chidambaram, who "did not like it".

"Whenever I meet the Home Minister, I have been telling him that they (Trinamool Congress and Maoists) are working hand-in-glove. There is a serious problem," he said when asked whether it was true that Mamata Banerjee's party was working with Maoists and if he had told Chidambaram about it.

Asked about Chidambaram's response, he said, "As usual he did not like it. The Home Minister does not like any party, any individual, NGO or the media supporting the Maoists."