The Centre is unlikely to withdraw the joint forces from the Maoist-dominated Lalgarh area in West Bengal as demanded by the Trinamool Congress and operations against the Naxals will continuing.
The second largest constituent of UPA has been demanding that the joint forces should be withdrawn as the ruling Left Front cadres and forces were "committing atrocities" in the name of tackling Maoists, but the Central government was considering it as a "political statement" ahead of elections.
"Right now we have no plans to withdraw the forces. They are doing their jobs and the anti-Naxal operations will continue," an official said.
The issue was said to have figured in the meetings Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in last two days in the national capital.
The Chief Minister has been strongly backing the joint operations launched by the Central and state forces in Maoist-dominated areas of West Bengal.
TC chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has been alleging that tribals were being subjected to atrocities by Marxist cadres and joint forces in the name of tackling Maoists, while the CPI(M) was "occupying" fresh areas.
"The CPI-M is using this joint forces operation as a shield and building armed camps over there. Our party delegation led by opposition leader Partho Chaterjee had met the President and told her about the situation in Lalgarh," she had said recently.
