Yechury in verbal spat with Chidambaram over Maoist attack

Communist Party of India-Marxist senior leader Sitaram Yechury has criticised Home Minister P. Chidambaram over his statements on tackling of the Maoist movement.

Chidambaram had earlier said, "The buck should stop at the state Chief Minister''s table in maintaining law and order."

Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Yechury said that Chidambaram''s pointed reference about the responsibility of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya towards controlling the Maoists had ironically come back to haunt the Minister himself with Tuesday''s massacre by Maoists at Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.

"He (Chidambaram) had to use the same language for himself. The statement he gave about the Chief Minister of West Bengal, within 48 hours he had to say the same for himself," Yechury said in Kolkata on Sunday.

Yechury pointed out that Maoist activities are taking place in areas where the mining of rich minerals have been privatised. This had resulted in creating the financial problems for the tribals living in those areas. The tribals are being asked to leave those areas and this had increased the number of Maoists.

Taking a dig at Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, Yechury alleged that the Trinamool Congress chief is supporting the Maoists to oust the Left.

"Supporting the Maoists will only increase the problem," he said and called for addressing the grievances of the tribals.