Baba Ramdev offers to broker talks with Maoists

Bhubaneswar: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev today said he was willing to mediate for talks between Maoists and the government and asked the ultras to give up violence.

"I will like to mediate a dialogue between the government and Maoists, if offered", Ramdev told reporters here after a yoga session.

Ramdev's offer comes barely ten days after art of living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar made a similar appeal.

"They (Maoists) want to change the system, so do I. But they want to achieve it through violent means while mine is the path of non-violence", the yoga guru said adding they could not succeed unless they shun violence.

Trinamool not colluding with Maoists: Chidambaram

Blaming corruption and lack of development in certain areas as the cause of Maoist activities, he asked the government to ensure development in tribal dominated places.