Naxals biggest enemies of tribals, poor: Rajnath

Union minister Rajnath Singh today said Naxals were the "biggest enemies" of tribals as well as the poor and accused the rebels of misleading them.

He was addressing a public rally in Dantewada to flag off Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh's "Vikas Yatra", which aims to highlight the achievements of the BJP's 15-year rule in the state.

The Union home minister said despite the hurdles put up by the Maoist rebels, the Centre and the state government were committed to boosting development in the region.

He praised the Chhattisgarh chief minister, saying the state had witnessed tremendous growth under his leadership.

Singh said he had never seen a chief minister with so much concern for all sections of the society, including the masons, carpenters, tendu leaf collectors, women and students.

"But forces like Naxals do not want development to take place. They are misleading the tribals and poor people," he said.

Singh expressed his gratitude to the tribal communities that had shown the courage to reject the Naxal ideology and refused to quit the mainstream.

Alleging that Naxal leaders were wallowing in luxury, he said they were, however, preventing the progress meant for the tribals and the poor.

"Naxal leaders have become crorepatis. They send their children to study in prominent colleges and universities. Some of their children even study abroad. But they want the children of our tribal brothers to remain uneducated," Singh said.

Stating that the state and the country would not progress without the development of the tribals and the poor, the home minister said, "We have decided that despite all odds, we will go to the (Naxal-affected) area and build roads, set up mobile towers, provide potable water, electricity, medical facilities and education.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states believe that no one can imagine the development of a state or the country unless the poor, the backward and tribals prosper."