New Delhi, Aug. 1: The Bengal government may be having second thoughts about releasing Maoist leaders from jail following repeated advisories from the Union home ministry about the risks involved, officials said here today.
Mamata Banerjee had said her government would release 52 political prisoners, including CPI (Maoist) members Pradip Chatterjee and Chandi Sarkar, as part of efforts to facilitate talks with the rebels.
Last week, the home ministry sent an advisory to Bengal asking it not to release Chatterjee and Sarkar. “Following that, we feel the state is having second thoughts about the release of (Maoist) prisoners,” a senior official said.
Sources said the subject was believed to have been discussed at a meeting here between home minister P. Chidambaram and Bengal governor M.K. Narayanan, a former national security adviser.
Chidambaram had said that certain things were discussed during Narayanan’s “courtesy call” and added: “There is nothing special to share.”
The home ministry fears that if Maoist leaders are freed, the rebels would take advantage of that to build their strength in Jungle Mahal.
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