West Bengal is ‘university’ of Maoist activities, says Lalu

September 28th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Monday sounded a high alert in three Maoist-affected districts following the arrest of People's Committee against Police Atrocity (PCAPA) leader Chattradhar Mahato Saturday. "We've alerted the police and the district administration and asked them to be prepared for any untoward incident and retaliation by the Maoists extremists," West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty told reporters here.

September 24th, 2009 KOLKATA - Two villagers, believed to be supporters of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), were abducted and killed by suspected Maoist guerrillas late Wednesday night near Maoist-hit Lalgarh area in West Bengal, police said Thursday. The incident took place at Goaltor area in West Midnapore district where Nemai Bishayi, 60, and Samir Singha Mahapatra, 50, were abducted and then killed by the Maoists when they were returning to their village.

August 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - Two people were killed by suspected Maoist rebels in a tribal-dominated West Bengal district even as the security forces are gearing up to combat the two-day shutdown called by the Left extremists from Monday in the state. The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) called for a two-day shutdown in five eastern Indian states - West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh - to demand release of two of its cadres allegedly arrested by Bihar police Aug 19.

July 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activist was shot dead Wednesday by suspected Maoists in West Bengal's Belpahari region, police said. "Phagu Baskey was working in the fields this (Wednesday) morning near Belpahari area in West Midnapore district when a group of Maoist rebels killed him," police superintendent M.K Verma told IANS.

June 24th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said that there was no need for his government to announce a separate ban on Maoists after the Central government's recent order. "The Central law is appropriate and can be enforced in all parts of the country.

June 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Tuesday said the central government's decision to extend the ban on the Communist Party of India-Maoists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was also applicable to the state. "This act is applicable in the whole country.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday said it was against a ban on the Leftwing outfit Communist Party of India-Maoist and the rebels should be tackled instead through political and administrative measures. Reacting to the union home ministry's declaration of the CPI-Maoist as a terrorist outfit, CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here that the "Maoists must be combated politically and administratively".

June 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty has said a nexus exists between Maoist and civil liberties groups in West Bengal. Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Chakraborti said, "NGOs like the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) have emerged as the frontline organisations of Maoist groups.

June 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - Contradicting Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's statement that his government would give "serious thought" to banning the Communist Party of India-Maoist, the ruling Left Front in West Bengal Monday said it was against a ban and the rebel outfit has to be fought politically. We have discussed this matter even in the past and decided that this outfit which propagates a wrong political line cannot be countered through a ban, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said in a media statement.

June 21st, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Sunday appealed to central and state ministers, NGOs, intellectuals and journalists to stay away from the troubled zone of Lalgarh saying it was not in a position to provide security to them in view of Maoist activities in the area. "The central and state security forces are there.

June 18th, 2009 AGARTALA - Maoist violence and the ensuing tension in West Bengal should be dealt with administratively, ideologically and politically, said Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who is also a senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader. "The Left movements in Bengal and across the country are matured enough and have full strength to tackle the Maoist hostility and associated enmity in Bengal," Sarkar told newsmen here Thursday before leaving for New Delhi for a CPI-M politburo meeting.

April 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The third phase of Lok Sabha elections Thursday was largely free of extremist violence, unlike the previous phases, the Election Commission said here. 'There were many polling booths under the the 10 Naxal-affected parliamentary constituencies in West Bengal (7) and Bihar (3),' Deputy Election Commissioner R.

April 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Election Commission Friday declared six West Bengal assembly constituencies as Maoist-affected, saying that security arrangements would be stepped up there to tackle any violence during the Lok Sabha polls. The decision came in the wake of Maoist attacks that killed at least 19 people in the first phase of polling in neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Bihar.

April 11th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal will get 250 companies of central paramilitary forces for its three-phased Lok Sabha polls starting April 30, a police official said here Saturday. Fourteen of the state's 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, including sensitive Northern West Bengal and three Maoist-affected districts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore, go to the polls in the first of the three phases.

January 2nd, 2009 KOLKATA - Opposition parties in West Bengal have launched a 'well-planned onslaught' against the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) that leads the state's ruling Left Front, party general secretary Prakash Karat said here Saturday. 'What is now happening in West Bengal is a well-planned onslaught against the CPI-M.