Maoist offer bizarre: Chidambaram

It was a somewhat bizarre offer. Many weeks ago,I had offered to facilitate talks with the CPI (Maoist) provided they abjured violence. There was no meaningful response to that offer. Nevertheless,on February 23,2010,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 added.

Centre wants M F Husain to return

NEW DELHI: With the 95-year-old M F Husain having been conferred the nationality of Qatar,the Indian government on Tuesday said it would be happy if Husain returned to the country of his birth and the country he obviously loves and that it would provide full security to the artist. Yes,there are a couple of cases in one of the lower courts,but the judgment in the High Court and the judgment in the Supreme Court in the earlier cases are absolutely clear. There is no legal basis for any case against Shri M F Husain, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday.