Maoism, terrorism, still challenges: PM

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Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi with home minister P. Chidambaram at the CMs’ conference on internal security in New Delhi

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday went on to blend “religious fundamentalism” with by Left-wing extremism, cross border terrorism, and ethnic violence.
Both the Prime Minister and the home minister, however, avoided any direct reference to right-wing groups. Later when asked whether he was referring to “saffron terror”, Mr Chidambaram said, “if you want to call it saffron terror, you can”.
The Prime Minister said that “we all need to be conscious of the fact that serious challenges and threats — primarily from Left-wing extremism, cross border terrorism, religious fundamentalism and ethnic violence — still persist.” He was addressing the conference of chief ministers on internal security on Tuesday.
He said there can be no let up in the government’s efforts in the fight against terrorism and communal violence , despite a steep fall in the number of terror attacks in the country during last year, except for the two incidents in Pune and Varanasi.
Incidentally, most of the chief ministers of the non-Congress ruled states were missing. Those who skipped the meet included chief ministers of West Bengal, Keala, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Karnataka. Chief ministers of Assam and Haryana were also missing from the meet. While UP chief minister Mayawati has made it a ritual to avoid the CM’s conference, Mr Bhattachajree did not turn up despite the home minister’s invitations to visit Delhi. Karnataka CM Yedurrappa informed the MHA on Tuesday morning that he would not be coming. Apart from the Prime Minister and home minister, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and defence minister A.K. Antony also attended the conference.
While cautioning that there has been “no let up in infiltration attempts from across the India-Pakistan border,”, Mr Chidambaram said that “there are a number of modules operating within the country, and new groups have raised their heads that are suspected to be behind some terrorist attacks that took place in recent years.” He said, “We cannot shy away from naming these groups or exposing their designs. Whatever their religious affiliations, I have no hesitation in condemning every group that resorts to terror as a means of advancing dubious religious causes or fundamentalist goals.”

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‘j&k needs pragmatic solution’
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI

Feb. 1: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday sai that “political solutions for the problems besetting” the state have to be worked out on a pragmatic basis.
“Political discussions are inescapable if a lasting and enduring solution to the problem of militancy in the state is to be achieved. I would, therefore, once again emphasise that political solutions for the problems besetting Jammu and Kashmir have to be worked out on a pragmatic basis,” he said while addressing the chief ministers’ conference on internal security here. .