Govt may consider Naxal truce offer, if ceasefire for 72 hrs

A day after Home Minister P Chidamabaram termed Maoist leader Kishenji's truce offer as "bizarre", the government extended an olive branch to the Left Wing extremists asking them to ensure ceasefire for 72 hours to facilitate talks. Full coverage

A day after Home Minister P Chidamabaram termed Maoist leader Kishenji's truce offer as "bizarre", the government extended an olive branch to the Left Wing extremists asking them to ensure ceasefire for 72 hours to facilitate talks.

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Top government officials have said Kishenji's offer for talks may be considered if he could ensure complete ceasefire for 72 hours.

Home Minister P Chidamabaram had termed the truce offer by the Maoist leader as "bizarre" while underlining double standards adopted by the Left Wing extremists.

In six days after Kishenji came with the offer for talks, Maoists have carried out 18 serious attacks on security forces and civilians killing 11 including an incident of slitting throat of a police official in West Bengal.

Chidamabaram said he had offered to facilitate talks with the CPI-Maoist provided they abjured violence.

"There was no meaningful response to that offer. Nevertheless, on February 23 I responded that if the CPI-Maoist made a short, simple and unconditional statement that they would abjure violence, government would be prepared to hold talks with them. I have received no response to my statement," he had said.