'Naxals must end violence, come for talks'

New Delhi: The killing of civilians and policemen in Dantewada district on Monday proves that Naxals are “merciless” and they are not interested in the government's offer of talks, Home Minister P Chidambaram has said.

Chidambaram, while speaking exclusively to CNN-IBN on Tuesday, said his government had offered talks to the rebels but they had never “responded seriously”.

“I don’t think that the Maoists have ever responded seriously to our offer for talks. Nor have they made a serious offer for talks,” Chidambaram told CNN-IBN’s Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai.

“I make that offer (of talks) now -- let anyone who's hearing this take note. The Maoists should say we will suspend violence, and actually suspend violence from any date they fix for 72 hours. Within 72 hours we'll get the Chief Ministers support and we will respond,” he said.

“We'll fix the date, place and time for talks and let the Maoists come and talk on anything they wish to talk.”

Chidambaram denied that there was disagreement in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government over how to tackle Naxals. “There are no discordant voices in the government. This is a robust democracy and there will be a healthy debate on every issue,” he said when asked about Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s criticism of his policy toward Naxals.

“We believe that this is a two pronged-strategy (in dealing with Naxals). One is police action and the other is development.”

The Minister refused to comment on whether he expected an apology from Singh for calling him arrogant and dealing with the Naxals as a mere law and order problem.

“I don’t have to agree or disagree with what everyone says. I have a mandate and I have to implement that mandate. The mandate is limited mandate to extend support to state governments in the challenge posed by the Naxals,” said Chidambaram.

Chidambaram was speaking a day after Naxals blew up a private bus and killed 40 policemen and civilians in a forested stretch in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, the same district where they killed 76 security personnel over a month ago.