PM calls high level meet to review Naxal strategy

Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has called a high level meeting today to review the government's strategy to tackle the Maoists.

The meeting is likely to be attended by home minister P Chidambaram, home secretary GK Pillai, national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and other senior officials of the home ministry.

Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh said he would urge the Centre to re-examine its strategy to deal with the Maoists.

"I will ask the prime minister to re-examine the strategy to deal with the Maoists. The way they are targeting civilians, we have to be prepared on that scale," he said.

Earlier, Chidambaram said: "Naxals don't discriminate, only kill. The wanton killing leaves me pained."

Commenting whether in this incident he would hold anybody responsible, Chidambaram said: "It's not the time to blame anyone."

He further said the matter would be discussed at the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

He also informed that chief ministers of all the Naxal affected states demanded for deployment of air support to help the ground forces.

On Monday evening, in one of the worst attack on civilians, the Maoists blew off a private bus killing atleast 40 people near Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.

The bus was on its way from Dantewada to Sukma when the incident took place near Chingawaram, over nine kilometers from Sukma.

The bus-CG17 SS 9295 was carrying 20 special police officers (SPO) and over 30 civilians. The SPOs were on their way to participate in a special recruitment drive.