Govt making all efforts to rescue hostages in Chhattisgarh: Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the BJP workers meeting in Lucknow on Saturday. (Source: PTI Photo)

Reacting to ‘hostage’ situation in Chhattisgarh during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Saturday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh here said the government was fighting against naxalism and efforts were on to rescue villagers.

Talking to the reporters here after a meeting of party workers, Singh said the Centre was making efforts for release of the hostages.

Observing that naxalism and terrorism were “old problems”, he said the government was making all efforts to fight them, adding they would be sorted out.

Contradictory claims were made over the ‘hostage’ situation in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, where Maoists were said to have seized 400-500 villagers during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to adjoining Dantewada.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Sukma, Harish Rathore said anywhere between 400 and 500 villagers were “taken away” to the jungles by the rebels opposing construction of a bridge, while Inspector General of Police, Bastar region, R P Kalluri, called it a “fiction” created by the media.

On the recent controversy of cancellation of Food Park at Amethi, the Home Minister said, “It was done by the concerned company itself and the Centre has no role in it.”

He said that even after three and a half years the project failed to take off.

On the issue of black money, Singh said that the government was bringing a bill after which no person would be able to take black money out of the country.

Asked about BJP’s election promise of bringing back black money, he said that talks were held with many countries and the court was being apprised with it.

The Minister in Modi government, which would be celebrating its first anniversary on May 16, claimed that it has launched a number of schemes for welfare of all sections of the society.

Singh refuted Uttar Pradesh government’s allegation of the Centre not extending any help to give relief to farmers hit by unprecedented rain and hailstorm, saying, “No state government could claim that it was short of funds”.

He said that states’ share in central taxes has been increased by the Centre and it has decided to increase the compensation amount.

Source:: Indian Express