Govt. to hold all-party meet on Naxal issue

The Central Government will hold an all-party meeting this week to finalise a strategy to resolve the Maoist problem decisively as the UPA expressed serious concern over May 25 audacious attack in Chhattisgarh that killed 28 people including three prominent Congress leaders.

A decision in this regard was taken at the meeting of the UPA Coordination Committee at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 7 RCR residence, which was attended by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and NC chief Farooq Abdullah.

Terming the Chhattisgarh incident as an attack on very foundations of democracy and entire political system, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said it was decided that an all-party meet would be called to discuss the Chhattisgarh incident.

Nath said that during the all party meeting a common strategy will be evolved to check the naxal menace.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the attack by the Maoists on Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh.

Heavily-armed Maoists had on May 25 ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in the state's Bastar district, killing 28 people including PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 37 others.

Former Union Minister V.C. Shukla injured in the attack is being treated at a Medanta hospital in Gurgaon. His condition is stated to be critical, but stable.