Soren sets 15 days deadline

Jharkhand Chief Minister Sibu Soren on Monday gave the Maoists 15 days to stop violence and come for talks, reports Madan Kumar.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Sibu Soren on Monday gave the Maoists 15 days to stop violence and come for talks.

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Talking to HT on the phone from Bokaro, Soren said: “I have given them (Maoists) two weeks to approach the state government for peace talks. If they don’t do so, the police will intensify action against them.”

He said, “The Maoists are poor people like us. I want to bring them back to the mainstream.”

“When nations can hold peace talks with terrorists operating from overseas, why not similar talks with the rebels, who are natives of our own land,” Soren said.

Soren, however, clarified that he was not against the special anti-Maoist offensive, “Operation Green Hunt”, but before intensifying such action, the government should try to bring the rebels on board.