By IANS,
New Delhi : Coming out in support of cabinet colleague Mamata Banerjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Friday said she has not been soft on Maoists and has condemned violence by the group.
“She has not been soft on Maoists. Her arguments are that Maoists and Marxists were collaborators in the past. She has made it very clear that she has no truck with the Maoists and she condemns violence,” Chidambaram told reporters at the Indian Women’s Press Corps.
The home minister said Mamata Banerjee’a position as the Trinamool Congress leader does not in any way affect the policy of the central government to assist the state government to establish civil administration, provide funds and resources for development and seek to have talks with the Maoists.