Ideological conflict with Maoists creating problems: Army chief
New Delhi, July 3: Asserting that Maoists were trying to take people back in time, the Indian Army chief, General Bipin Rawat said on Tuesday that the ideological conflict was creating problems vis-a-vis the Maoists in the country.
"Maoists have their own ideology. They don't believe in democracy. They are anti-development. They feel the government is taking away what was rightfully theirs," the General said while interacting with students from Chhattisgarh.
The students, on a tour to Delhi, had asked him about the Maoists in their state.
"The Maoists want to take the people back in time. India, as a country, cannot leave them behind while everyone is going ahead," Rawat said.
The Chief of Army Staff said that people could be allowed certain tribal rights "but we cannot allow them to have a primitive lifestyle".
On a query on the demands of leftists guerrillas, Rawat said: "The Maoists don't have very many demands. They only want (to continue with) their tribal way of life. Tribals don't own land, but have certain rights over it."
"They live in resources-rich areas, where the government goes to extract natural riches. In return, the government wants to provide them good education, health and other facilities. But they don't even allow the government to run schools there. They burn down school the government sets up. They need to send their kids to school," Rawat said.
"There is a conflict of ideology which is creating the problem," he said.
Asked how the Maoists manage to get weapons, the Army chief said: "Enough people are willing to sell you weapons if you have the money. So, either the Maoists buy from them or make their own guns. They can also make bombs. Anyone can learn to make bombs from videos available on the Internet."
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Assam CM flays Cong for 'not verifying' documents before making charges against his family
Sivasagar/Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday slammed the Congress for “not verifying” the documents based on which it brought allegations against him and his family.
Congress leader Pawan Khera had on Sunday alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister’s election affidavit.
Sarma also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, claiming that he was “speaking like a madman” due to old age, after the latter put the onus on central agencies to probe the charges.
The CM asserted that Khera had “run away” to Hyderabad, but the Assam Police will “hunt him down even from ‘pataal’ (netherworld)”.
“‘Assam Police ko nahi jante hain.. Pataal se bhi ukhar ke le ayega’ (They don’t know the Assam Police... they will hunt him down even from the netherworld),” asserted Sarma.
An Assam Police team had earlier in the day visited the Delhi residence of Khera for questioning him in connection with the case.
“If they didn’t know the truth, why did they put it out in public? They should have asked the foreign minister first,” Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an election campaign, when asked for his reaction to Kharge’s assertion that the Union government should probe the allegations now.
Kharge, at a presser in Guwahati on Tuesday, said all agencies are under the central government, which should probe the charges.
"They have already filed an FIR against Khera. Let them probe the matter. We will face the case as it progresses. We have sought probes by the ED or CBI into the allegations," he said.
Sarma added: “Kharge is ageing and is speaking like a ‘pagal’ (madman). You insult the people first and then say will ask the foreign minister (for verification)? Is he your ‘damad’ (son-in-law),” the chief minister said.
“I think Rahul Gandhi had given these documents to Khera, and if that is so, the case will then include Gandhi,” he added.
