The Prime Minister has said that the government has not taken any view on using air power against naxals. Dr. Manmohan Singh said that all options are reviewed from time to time but it is too close to the incident of Dantewada attack for the existing policy of fighting naxals to be modified. He was replying to questions from the media on the sidelines of a function at Rashtrapati Bhawan to present the Padma Awards.<br/><br/>Earlier, the Home Minister Mr. P Chidambaram said the Government may have to reconsider the stand not to use the air force in the anti-naxal operations. He said, there will be no let-up in the offensive against the naxals. <br/><br/>A day after 76 CRPF men were killed in a jungle ambush in Dantewada district in Chattisgarh in the country's biggest Maoist attack, Mr. Chidambaram also said there is no proposal to deploy Army for the anti-Naxal operations. He said his government still believed that the state police backed by central paramilitary forces were sufficient to counter the Maoist threat. Mr. Chidambaram, who flew to Jagdalpur in Chattisgarh to assess the situation, was speaking to reporters after attending a sombre memorial ceremony for the slain CRPF men. <br/><br/>Meanwhile, floral tributes were paid to the twenty four bodies of the CRPF personnel after their mortal remains were brought to New Delhi on Wednesday. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was present to receive seven bodies of the personnel belonging to his state and announced compensation of two lakh rupees each for the next of kin of those killed. <br/><br/>Six bodies of the deceased jawans of CRPF who were killed in yesterday's attacks reached Patna on Wednesday afternoon by an airforce plane.
News On AIR | April 7, 2010 8:47 PM
Govt. has not taken any view on using air power against naxals: PM