Maoist ceasefire offer finds no takers in Home Ministry

The ceasefire offer of CPI-Maoist found no takers on Tuesday in the Union Home Ministry which asked its personnel on ground in Lalgarh to continue their operation against the Naxals.

While no one was willing to comment on the issue, officials in the paramilitary forces said they had been asked to continue with their operations till the objective was achieved.

Earlier in the day, CPI-Maoist leader Sagar said in a statement: "We are ready for talks with the Centre and West Bengal government if the intellectuals, who visited the troubled Lalgarh area last Sunday, arrange for a meeting."

Home Ministry officials said that since Naxals were on a back foot after the onslaught by paramilitary forces, they had come out with an idea of having a conditional ceasefire.

"If they want to end the hostilities, they should surrender in the first possible security camp...talks can be held later," said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

A delegation of Kolkata-based intellectuals, including actor-filmmaker Aparna Sen, theatre artistes Kaushik Sen and Saonli Mitra and poet Joy Goswami, visited Lalgarh on Sunday and met PCPA leader Chhatradhar Mahato and villagers.