No US help offer to Chhattisgarh: India

MEA has rejected reports that US had offered help in tackling the Maoists.

India on Monday said that while two US officials met representatives of the Chhattisgarh government last week, no offer was made by the US to help the state government in tackling Maoist terrorism.

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"This question was taken up by the External Affairs Ministry with the American embassy. But the American embassy has said that no such offer was made," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna told reporters.

He was responding to a question about media reports saying that two senior officials of the American Consulate in Mumbai, William Inman and Kevin Green, met the state's Additional Chief Secretary of Home, BKS Ray and offered help in tackling Maoist insurgency in the state.

The Americans offered to help in de-mining large forested tracts and train police personnel to fight Maoist terrorism, the reports quoted Ray as saying.

Earlier, David Kennedy, spokesperson of the US Embassy, had confirmed the meeting between the American officials and the representatives of the state government on the issue of Maoist terrorism, but denied that the US made any offer to the Chhattisgarh government.