BJP slams Congress over its Telangana leader's remarks on 'ceasefire talks' with Maoists

New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) Accusing the Congress of supporting a call by certain sections for a ceasefire with the banned CPI (Maoist), the BJP on Tuesday said it has "exposed" the opposition party's “double standards” on the issue of taking on the Naxal menace.

The BJP alleged that the Congress, for its vote bank politics, was insulting the security personnel who gave up their lives fighting the Maoists and asked why the party "always stands with enemies of India – from Naxals to Pakistan-based terrorists”.

This came after the Congress’ Telangana unit president B Mahesh Kumar Goud reportedly said that he would bring an appeal of a peace talk committee for a ceasefire with the CPI (Maoists) to the notice of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and also discuss the issue in the party's high-level committee.

According to media reports, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief, while addressing a conference organised by the peace talks committee in Hyderabad on Sunday, accused the Centre of aiming to eliminate Maoists to hand over mineral wealth in Chhattisgarh and other states to corporates.

Latching on to Goud’s remarks, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of supporting the call for a ceasefire with the outlawed CPI (Maoist), saying this is the “real mindset” of the party.

“When the Congress was in power (at the Centre) it used to call Naxalism the biggest internal security threat and today it has become the biggest issue of human rights for the party.

"After Naxal commanders like Basavarju were killed, the Congress is now shedding tears. Telangana Congress president says there should be a ceasefire with the Naxalites,” Poonawalla said.

There was no immediate reaction from the Congress to the BJP’s charge.

Poonwalla alleged that Congress does not want tough action against “terrorists and Naxalites” as it prioritises vote bank politics.

“Look at the Congress’ double standards. Keeping the vote bank politics in mind, it wants terrorists to get a clean chit, be it Naxalites or Islamist Jihadis. This an insult to our armed forces and policemen who were martyred in the fight against terrorists,” he alleged.

“The Congress always keeps its vote bank policy above national security. It always keeps the party’s interest and (Gandhi) family interest above the national interest,” Poonawalla charged.

Terming the reported remarks of Goud as “shameful”, another BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari asked in a post on X, “Why does Congress always stand with enemies of India – Naxals to Pak-based terrorists” He said the number of Maoist-hit districts coming down to just 18 in early 2025 from 126 in 2014 is a testament to the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to make India “Naxal free by 2026”.

“While our soldiers risk their lives to eliminate Maoist terror from Indian soil, Telangana Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud wants a ceasefire with those who kill our jawans and threaten our democracy.

"Instead of standing with India, he questions the government’s anti-Maoist operations and echoes the narrative of urban Naxals,” Bhandari alleged.

Central and state security forces have eliminated top Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao or Basavaraju and scores of other Naxals in stepped-up operations. PTI PK RT