Even as he urged top Navy officers to ensure total implementation of proposals regarding coastal security for the country, defence minister A.K. Antony also said on Thursday that the government would take a final decision in due course on the issue of any utilisation of Armed Forces in anti-Naxal operations. When asked about
whether there would be any deployment of the Armed Forces in anti-Naxal operations, Mr Antony said, “There are issues which are not effectively debated publicly. I don’t want public debate on this. Ultimately, the government will take a final decision on this. Whatever is the final decision will be communicated ...,” the defence minister said, adding that the decision would be binding on all, including the ministry of defence.
The MoD has, so far, opposed any deployment of Armed Forces in anti-Naxal operations.
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Mystery over ‘loot’ of explosives
Rabindra Nath Choudhury
Raipur
May 20: The reported disappearance of a truck load of ammonium nitrate — used in making explosives — at Ghodagaon, a thickly forested area of Bastar in Chhattisgarh two days ago, continued to shroud in mystery on Thursday. The police, who had earlier suspected hand of Maoists in the “loot” of the explosives, later preferred to maintain silence after the identity of the consignment owner was revealed. The explosives were procured by one Sanjay Choudhury, a kin of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and BJP leader Sunderlal Patwa. The consignment of 16 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was on its way from Visakhapatnam to Raipur.