Ranchi/Jamshedpur: Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren on Monday said the state is capable of handling Maoist menace, a statement which was criticised by the Naxals.
"The state is capable of effectively containing extremist violence. Anti-Naxal operations are on," Soren told the state assembly in reply to a query by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) MLA Pradip Yadav on whether the state has taken any decision to launch 'Operation Green Hunt' against Maoists.
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Criticising Soren's statement, Maoists said "it was almost a green signal to 'Operation Green Hunt' which was against his offer for talks".
"We have been honouring the government's offer for talks. But no option other than approaching Jan Adalat for action would be left if the anti-naxal campaign continues," Rakeshji, the spokesman of Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa Border Regional Committee of CPI(Maoist) said from an undisclosed location.
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Owning up the responsibility for killing a villager in Dainmara village late last night in Ghatsila, he said the incident was a warning to the government's anti-naxal policy.
"The victim, Biddu Banra, with police conspired to kill Maoists and poisoned the food about a fortnight ago," Rakeshji said.
Banra was hacked to death, while five others injured and a couple of houses were set ablaze by Maoists at Ghatsila in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district.
