Deploying paramilitary forces in West Bengal's violence-hit Lalgarh was a "mistake" committed by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday.
“I still think that the Lalgarh operation was a
mistake. The union home ministry didn’t consult us before beginning the operation in the region," Banerjee told the Bengali TV channel Star Ananda in an interview.
“The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government here is just utilising the central forces to capture these areas with their own armed cadres,” she said.
“The centre should immediately begin a process of dialogue with the so-called Maoists to resolve the matter. Both the parties should talk it out sitting across the table."
Terming the whole process as "wrong", Banerjee said the deployment of central forces in the Maoist-affected pockets was not a permanent solution.
“One can only reclaim few Maoist stronghold pockets by the help of army, but he or she cannot bring any change to the socio-political situation in that area,” the Trinamool chief added.
Banerjee also welcomed the initiative of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram who had urged the Maoist rebels to stop violence and participate in a dialogue process with the government.
“I am interested to play a role to resolve any socio-political issue in the state - be it Lalgarh violence or the Gorkhaland agitation in the northern part of the state,” she said, adding that her party will never support "bloodbath" and "vindictive politics".