Declaring Maoists as terrorists no solution: Karat

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Monday opposed a ban on the Maoists, saying that declaring the Leftwing rebels as terrorists was no solution, and political and administrative measures should be used instead to check their growth.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Monday opposed a ban on the Maoists, saying that declaring the Leftwing rebels as terrorists was no solution, and political and administrative measures should be used instead to check their growth.

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Reacting to the union home ministry's declaration of the Communist Party of India-Maoist as a terrorist outfit, CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said that the "Maoists must be combated politically and administratively".

He said the central government's move was no solution and "we have to isolate them (Maoists) politically. You cannot do this by police and security measures, but a combination of these measures is necessary."

Karat said he agreed that the Maoists indulged in "terrorist violence" and should be curbed administratively. He said his party had been able to check the growth of the Maoists in West Bengal and this was why the rebels were attacking the party cadre in the state's Lalgarh region.

The CPI-M leader said his party's central committee meeting had "adopted a resolution condemning widespread attacks on our members in West Bengal...53 of our comrades were killed."