Home Minister P. Chidambaram offered to quit his post in the wake of the Dantewada massacre by naxals, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday rejected his resignation offer.
Taking full responsibility, Mr. Chidambaram said that the buck stopped at his desk with regard to the Tuesday’s naxal attack.
“The Home Minister wrote to the Prime Minister the day before yesterday, offering to step down. The Prime Minister rejected it,” a PMO spokesman said.
Speaking at a CRPF function here, Mr. Chidambaram said, “I have been asked directly or indirectly where the buck stops for what happened in Dantewada. I have no hesitation saying the buck stops at my desk.
“I accept full responsibility for what happened in Dantewada. Immediately on my return from Chhattisgarh, I called on the Prime Minister and gave it in writing that I accept full responsibility for what happened and I think I will stop there,” he said.
Declining to go any further, he said, “Let me not elaborate. I am proud of the CRPF.” 75 personnel from CRPF’s 62nd Battalion and one Chhattisgarh policeman were killed in an ambush by the Maoists in Dantewada.
During a visit to naxal stronghold of Lalgarh in West Bengal on April 4, Chidambaram had said he had told Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee that the “buck stops” with him on ending political violence in the State.
Upset over the remark, the Chief Minister had said this was not the language used by politicians and that he will do his job and the Home Minister should do his.
Showing posts with label P.Chidambaram. Show all posts
Showing posts with label P.Chidambaram. Show all posts
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
BJP MLAs, activists arrested after protest march
Over 250 BJP activists, including seven MLAs, were today arrested when they attempted to gherao Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram over the issue of return and rehabilitation of militants from PoK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir).
State BJP leaders assembled at Bikram Chowk here in the morning and raised slogans against the Union Minister and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
However, BJP activists failed to gherao the Union Home Minister whose cavalcade passed through the area smoothly amid tight police security.
Seven MLAs - Chaman Lal Gupta, Ashok Khajuria, Garu Ram, Choudhary Shyam, Jagdish Raj Sapolia, Bharat Bushan and Baldev Raj - courted arrest, a party spokesman said.
Mr. Gupta, leader of BJP legislative party, told reporters that the party had planned to gherao the Union Home Minister on the issue of the surrender policy of militants held across the LOC, but was foiled by the authorities by deploying police and preventing them to assemble for protest demonstration in large numbers.
He described the surrender policy of militants as a “dangerous step” with grave security repercussions.
Mr. Gupta alleged that the government was not serious about the plight of refugees of the 1947 and 1965 wars, but was taking steps to help and facilitate those who are anti-national.
State BJP leaders assembled at Bikram Chowk here in the morning and raised slogans against the Union Minister and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
However, BJP activists failed to gherao the Union Home Minister whose cavalcade passed through the area smoothly amid tight police security.
Seven MLAs - Chaman Lal Gupta, Ashok Khajuria, Garu Ram, Choudhary Shyam, Jagdish Raj Sapolia, Bharat Bushan and Baldev Raj - courted arrest, a party spokesman said.
Mr. Gupta, leader of BJP legislative party, told reporters that the party had planned to gherao the Union Home Minister on the issue of the surrender policy of militants held across the LOC, but was foiled by the authorities by deploying police and preventing them to assemble for protest demonstration in large numbers.
He described the surrender policy of militants as a “dangerous step” with grave security repercussions.
Mr. Gupta alleged that the government was not serious about the plight of refugees of the 1947 and 1965 wars, but was taking steps to help and facilitate those who are anti-national.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Chidambaram meets T panel secretary
The home minister, Mr P.Chidambaram, on Thursday met V.K. Duggal, member secretary of the newly set up five-member Telangana committee to discuss the terms of reference of the panel.
The committee will hold wide-ranging consultations with all political parties and groups in Andhra Pradesh on the issue of a separate Telangana state.
Home ministry officials said the talks centred around the committee's brief that will be made public soon.
"It (brief) is being drafted and would be finalised in consultation with former Supreme Court judge Justice B.N. Srikrishna who is the chairman of the committee," said a ministry official.
Duggal is expected to leave for Mumbai later in the day to meet Justice Srikrishna and apprise him of his talks with Chidambaram and union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), spearheading the agitation for a separate state, said it would wait for the terms of reference of the committee before giving its views
The committee will hold wide-ranging consultations with all political parties and groups in Andhra Pradesh on the issue of a separate Telangana state.
Home ministry officials said the talks centred around the committee's brief that will be made public soon.
"It (brief) is being drafted and would be finalised in consultation with former Supreme Court judge Justice B.N. Srikrishna who is the chairman of the committee," said a ministry official.
Duggal is expected to leave for Mumbai later in the day to meet Justice Srikrishna and apprise him of his talks with Chidambaram and union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), spearheading the agitation for a separate state, said it would wait for the terms of reference of the committee before giving its views
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Keep Chidambaram away from Telangana panel: TDP MPs
Three Telugu Desam MPs and a former Union Minister have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that the terms of reference of the proposed committee on Telangana are not formulated under the stewardship of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, they drew his attention to an article written by Mr. Chidambaram in an English daily on May 18, 2003 to the effect that “there is a strong case for the creation of Vidarbha (out of Maharashtra, population 9.67 crore) and Telangana (out of Andhra Pradesh, population 7.57 crore). Uttar Pradesh and Bihar should be further divided.”
The TDP leaders, therefore, wanted that the Centre-State division, presently under the Home Ministry, be immediately transferred to a ‘neutral Ministry’ which did not have “any pre-determined ideas or plans whatsoever on the division of the States.”
The party MPs M.V. Mysura Reddy, K. Narayana Rao and N. Kistappa and the former Union Minister, K. Yerran Naidu, urged Dr. Singh to seriously consider their appeal before taking any step.
They alleged that Mr. Chidambaram did not follow Constitutional and Parliamentary procedures in making the December 9 statement for initiating the process for creating Telangana. His statement was nothing but a breach of Parliamentary system of governance.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister on Tuesday, they drew his attention to an article written by Mr. Chidambaram in an English daily on May 18, 2003 to the effect that “there is a strong case for the creation of Vidarbha (out of Maharashtra, population 9.67 crore) and Telangana (out of Andhra Pradesh, population 7.57 crore). Uttar Pradesh and Bihar should be further divided.”
The TDP leaders, therefore, wanted that the Centre-State division, presently under the Home Ministry, be immediately transferred to a ‘neutral Ministry’ which did not have “any pre-determined ideas or plans whatsoever on the division of the States.”
The party MPs M.V. Mysura Reddy, K. Narayana Rao and N. Kistappa and the former Union Minister, K. Yerran Naidu, urged Dr. Singh to seriously consider their appeal before taking any step.
They alleged that Mr. Chidambaram did not follow Constitutional and Parliamentary procedures in making the December 9 statement for initiating the process for creating Telangana. His statement was nothing but a breach of Parliamentary system of governance.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Congress leaders hail Chidambaram statement
Telangana Congress MLAs are a relieved lot as the pressure for resigning from the Assembly to honour the Joint Aaction Committee (JAC) deadline is off their minds after Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement on constituting a panel on Telangana.
Equally satisfied are the Andhra and Rayalaseema Congress leaders, who feel the panel will give them an opportunity to forcefully put forward their views against bifurcation. They hope to cash in on the panel’s constitution to fearlessly raise its reservations on the separate statehood issue.
APCC president D. Srinivas said all political parties should welcome the initiative and extend cooperation so that the process is completed at the earliest. “Political parties should not precipitate the issue.”
Further he said: “In my view, formation of a committee on such a sensitive problem with eminent people is not an easy task because one should be prepared to associate with such a task. In spite of all this, the Home Minister’s announcement should satisfy people of the State.”
Senior Congress leaders K. Jana Reddy and R. Damodar Reddy exuded confidence that separate State would become a reality in six or seven months.
Mr. Jana Reddy said there was no need for any further agitations and appealed for peace and tranquillity.
Rajahmundry MP Vundavalli Arunkumar said the panel would be set up to look into the problems confronted during bifurcation of the State.
Equally satisfied are the Andhra and Rayalaseema Congress leaders, who feel the panel will give them an opportunity to forcefully put forward their views against bifurcation. They hope to cash in on the panel’s constitution to fearlessly raise its reservations on the separate statehood issue.
APCC president D. Srinivas said all political parties should welcome the initiative and extend cooperation so that the process is completed at the earliest. “Political parties should not precipitate the issue.”
Further he said: “In my view, formation of a committee on such a sensitive problem with eminent people is not an easy task because one should be prepared to associate with such a task. In spite of all this, the Home Minister’s announcement should satisfy people of the State.”
Senior Congress leaders K. Jana Reddy and R. Damodar Reddy exuded confidence that separate State would become a reality in six or seven months.
Mr. Jana Reddy said there was no need for any further agitations and appealed for peace and tranquillity.
Rajahmundry MP Vundavalli Arunkumar said the panel would be set up to look into the problems confronted during bifurcation of the State.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Government to reassert authority in Maoist areas: Chidambaram
Following a meeting with top officials of Orissa, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the central government was offering troops and technology to States to take on the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram declared on Friday that states had agreed to coordinate actions against Maoist guerrillas and that the government’s goal was to reassert authority in rebel bastions.
“(Our aim is) to reassert the civil administration to be followed immediately by development in areas dominated by Naxalites for quite some years,” Mr. Chidambaram said after a meeting with top officials of Orissa, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh here.
“The meeting was successful”, the minister told reporters. “We identified progress we made. We identified steps to be taken. The operations will continue. Our goal is not to kill anyone but to reassert the civil administration to be followed immediately by development in areas dominated by Naxalites for quite some years.”
Mr. Chidambaram chaired a two-hour meeting at the State secretariat with Chief Ministers Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh and Navin Patnaik of Orissa, Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil and officials of paramilitary forces.
He said that the central government was offering troops and technology to states to take on the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).
“My approach to the CPI-Maoist and other such banned organisations is that you will suspend violence and we will talk. But they are killing people. Even yesterday they killed two boys in Chhattisgarh who belonged to primitive tribes as they wanted to get recruited in (the Indian) army,” he said.
“The coordinated operation (against Maoists) is just a few weeks old. The progress is satisfactory and in future it will be more satisfactory. In many places Naxalites are retreating and we welcome it. But in some areas they are engaged in battle,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
Home Minister P. Chidambaram declared on Friday that states had agreed to coordinate actions against Maoist guerrillas and that the government’s goal was to reassert authority in rebel bastions.
“(Our aim is) to reassert the civil administration to be followed immediately by development in areas dominated by Naxalites for quite some years,” Mr. Chidambaram said after a meeting with top officials of Orissa, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh here.
“The meeting was successful”, the minister told reporters. “We identified progress we made. We identified steps to be taken. The operations will continue. Our goal is not to kill anyone but to reassert the civil administration to be followed immediately by development in areas dominated by Naxalites for quite some years.”
Mr. Chidambaram chaired a two-hour meeting at the State secretariat with Chief Ministers Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh and Navin Patnaik of Orissa, Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil and officials of paramilitary forces.
He said that the central government was offering troops and technology to states to take on the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).
“My approach to the CPI-Maoist and other such banned organisations is that you will suspend violence and we will talk. But they are killing people. Even yesterday they killed two boys in Chhattisgarh who belonged to primitive tribes as they wanted to get recruited in (the Indian) army,” he said.
“The coordinated operation (against Maoists) is just a few weeks old. The progress is satisfactory and in future it will be more satisfactory. In many places Naxalites are retreating and we welcome it. But in some areas they are engaged in battle,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Centre will weigh Naxal menace before T move
The Centre will take into account the Maoist activities and the general law and order situation in the state before agreeing to create Telangana, sources said.
The Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, had told mediapersons recently that the first priority of the government was to ensure peace in the state before addressing any issue related to Telangana.
Sources added that the Centre and the Congress high command have already started taking steps in this direction.
This is evident if one observes the manner in which the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, is making changes in the administration, which was in limbo due to agitations over the bifurcation. There have been many review meetings held in the Chief Minister’s peshi during the last few days which is a sign of the administration becoming normal.
The director-general of police, Mr R.R. Girish Kumar, has been advised by both the Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram and the Governor, Mr E.S.L. Narasimhan “not to be complacent” about the rising Maoist activities in the state.
Mr Kumar, sources said, has told his men to be vigilant especially in areas adjoining the borders of Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Maharashtra. The Centre has also allowed 24 companies of the CRPF to stay on in the state and is considering to send 12 more.
In another significant decision, the Centre decided to continue with Mr Narasimhan as the Governor. When he had taken charge as the Governor temporarily, the Maoists had reacted wildly saying: “Narahantaka Narasimhan go back.” (Go back human killer Narasimhan).
Some protagonists of Telangana had also issued statements expressing doubts if Mr Narasimhan was brought to delay bifurcation of the state. By appointing Mr Narasimhan as the Governor on a permanent basis, the Centre wants to convey its firmness in dealing with the issues affecting the state.
The Congress high command is also not happy with the state unit of the party as several MLAs from the Telangana region have not withdrawn their resignations. It issued fresh instructions through the Chief Minister and the PCC chief, Mr D. Srinivas, to keep them away from the Telangana JAC.
The Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, had told mediapersons recently that the first priority of the government was to ensure peace in the state before addressing any issue related to Telangana.
Sources added that the Centre and the Congress high command have already started taking steps in this direction.
This is evident if one observes the manner in which the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, is making changes in the administration, which was in limbo due to agitations over the bifurcation. There have been many review meetings held in the Chief Minister’s peshi during the last few days which is a sign of the administration becoming normal.
The director-general of police, Mr R.R. Girish Kumar, has been advised by both the Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram and the Governor, Mr E.S.L. Narasimhan “not to be complacent” about the rising Maoist activities in the state.
Mr Kumar, sources said, has told his men to be vigilant especially in areas adjoining the borders of Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Maharashtra. The Centre has also allowed 24 companies of the CRPF to stay on in the state and is considering to send 12 more.
In another significant decision, the Centre decided to continue with Mr Narasimhan as the Governor. When he had taken charge as the Governor temporarily, the Maoists had reacted wildly saying: “Narahantaka Narasimhan go back.” (Go back human killer Narasimhan).
Some protagonists of Telangana had also issued statements expressing doubts if Mr Narasimhan was brought to delay bifurcation of the state. By appointing Mr Narasimhan as the Governor on a permanent basis, the Centre wants to convey its firmness in dealing with the issues affecting the state.
The Congress high command is also not happy with the state unit of the party as several MLAs from the Telangana region have not withdrawn their resignations. It issued fresh instructions through the Chief Minister and the PCC chief, Mr D. Srinivas, to keep them away from the Telangana JAC.
