Mamata’s Junglemahal offer is a political gimmick,say Maoist groups

The People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) has described West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s sops for Junglemahal as a “political gimmick”.

Ashok Jibon Ghosh,spokesman of the PCAPA — a frontal unit of the Maoists — said there was no talk about the release of political prisoners of Junglemahal,a promise Mamata had made prior to the polls. “She also did not spell out her stand on withdrawal of forces. The PCAPA will intensify agitations in Junglemahal soon,” he said.

In Purulia,a Maoist faction in a statement described Mamata’s call for peace talks as a “ploy to make Maoists surrender arms and ideology”.

“It was an insult while joint security forces are still present in Junglemahal. The Maoist are not opposed to her development initiative but want to see action rather than words,” the statement said. ENS