Kolkata: As West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's seven-day deadline for Maoists to lay down arms nears its end, the Left ultras today rejected her ultimatum, instead, calling for a bandh on Saturday, October 22 - the day the deadline expires.
"Make the bandh in Junglemahal on Saturday a success against the injustice meted out to the people of the area," Maoist state committee secretary Akash, who escaped a raid by the joint forces on Tuesday in West Midnapore district, said in a pamphlet that was found in the Junglemahal area.
The Maoists also hit back at the Chief Minister's "supari killers" remark, likening her aggressive posturing to that of 'Maa Kali'. Ms Banerjee had made the remark at a rally in Jhargram on October 15. Slamming the Maoists for continuing on their killing spree despite a halt in operations against them by the joint forces, Ms Banerjee - while also calling them "jungle mafia" - gave them a week's time to shun violence and come back to the negotiating table.
The Maoists said that Ms Banerjee had insulted them by making such remarks against them.
The Maoists' latest attack on the Chief Minister comes after a similar outburst, albeit by their front body - the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) - last week.
In posters that were found near Salboni in West Midnapore district on Saturday, the PCPA accused the Chief Minister of going back on her promise of stopping operations against them by Central forces and release of political prisoners.
So far, the Maoists seem to be in no mood to come forward for talks. Instead, on Tuesday, they engaged security forces in a gun battle. Tribal rights activist and writer Mahasweta Devi has joined the Maoist chorus for the withdrawal of the armed forces from several areas in the state.
With the situation already tense in the state, it was no surprise that interlocutors by the state to talk to the Maoists came away with little result. Though Sujato Bhadra, one of the interlocutors, has stressed that the dialogue is on and will continue, talks seem to be making little headway.
The state government has asked the Centre for two additional battalions of paramilitary forces, clearly signalling that it is reaching the end of its patience, and a showdown could be on the cards sooner rather than later.
"Make the bandh in Junglemahal on Saturday a success against the injustice meted out to the people of the area," Maoist state committee secretary Akash, who escaped a raid by the joint forces on Tuesday in West Midnapore district, said in a pamphlet that was found in the Junglemahal area.
The Maoists also hit back at the Chief Minister's "supari killers" remark, likening her aggressive posturing to that of 'Maa Kali'. Ms Banerjee had made the remark at a rally in Jhargram on October 15. Slamming the Maoists for continuing on their killing spree despite a halt in operations against them by the joint forces, Ms Banerjee - while also calling them "jungle mafia" - gave them a week's time to shun violence and come back to the negotiating table.
The Maoists said that Ms Banerjee had insulted them by making such remarks against them.
The Maoists' latest attack on the Chief Minister comes after a similar outburst, albeit by their front body - the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) - last week.
In posters that were found near Salboni in West Midnapore district on Saturday, the PCPA accused the Chief Minister of going back on her promise of stopping operations against them by Central forces and release of political prisoners.
So far, the Maoists seem to be in no mood to come forward for talks. Instead, on Tuesday, they engaged security forces in a gun battle. Tribal rights activist and writer Mahasweta Devi has joined the Maoist chorus for the withdrawal of the armed forces from several areas in the state.
With the situation already tense in the state, it was no surprise that interlocutors by the state to talk to the Maoists came away with little result. Though Sujato Bhadra, one of the interlocutors, has stressed that the dialogue is on and will continue, talks seem to be making little headway.
The state government has asked the Centre for two additional battalions of paramilitary forces, clearly signalling that it is reaching the end of its patience, and a showdown could be on the cards sooner rather than later.
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