Kolkata, Tuesday 09 February 2010: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday assured that the Centre was ready for talks with the Naxals if they abjure violence and show their willingness to resolve all issues amicably.

“If you abjure violence, that is if you call a halt to violence, we are not asking you do anything more, we are prepared to talk to you on any (subject),” the minister told reporters after a meeting with top officials from West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar to chalk out a strategy to tackle the Naxal problem.

Chidambaram, while extending the olive branch to the banned ultras, also warned them that the Centre would continue its military offensive against them till they abjure violence.

“Unfortunately our last appeal was spurned by the Maoists, so all inter and intra state operations against Naxals will continue. We will continue a careful, calibrated and controlled operation against the ultras.”

Elaborating further, Chidambaram said, “Central forces will try to reclaim the areas under control of Naxals in the four most affected states. It is important to establish the civil administration. However, we will see that there are no collateral damages in these exercises and that no innocent people suffer anywhere.”

The Home Minister toughened his stance and stated that extra forces will be deployed in the Naxal-affected states and the rule of law will be established very shortly.” The Home Minister also expressed satisfaction over the progress made so far by the security forces in controlling the Naxal menace.

“I am satisfied with the overall scenario but still some inadequacies do exists. Those will be corrected very soon. There are no discordant voices among the four most affected states and the Centre over this issue,” he stressed.

When asked to give his reactions on reports of political parties colluding with Naxals, Chidambaram said, “As far as I know no body is colluding with them. In fact no body can collude with them since Naxals don’t believe in a parliamentary democracy and any party which believes in it will not collude with Naxals at any cost.