Govt. committed to eradicating ‘Naxalism’, says CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said here on Friday that the government was committed to eradicate “Naxalism” in the State as it believed that any social struggle should be through peaceful means.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said here on Friday that the government was committed to eradicate “Naxalism” in the State as it believed that any social struggle should be through peaceful means.

Speaking to presspersons during his brief visit to the city, Mr. Siddaramaiah said struggles should be through constitutional means. The Constitution recognised the right to raise voice against oppression and for social justice but it had to be through peaceful means and nobody could take law into their own hands, he added.

He said the government was keen that “Naxals” also entered the mainstream of society after surrendering themselves.

Referring to the farmers’ agitation in Delhi, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the Union government, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was “imhumane” as it failed to empathise with the travails of farmers. “The government is anti-farmer in nature as is evident in its failure to reach out to those agitating since weeks,” he added.

The Chief Minister also said that the government had decided to increase the monthly wages of ASHA workers to ₹10,000, including incentives. They had decided to withdraw their agitation, said Mr. Siddaramaiah.

When pointed out that the Opposition in the State had raised a question mark on the fiscal situation in the State and the government’s ability to pay additional wages, the Chief Minister said that the State’s financial position was healthy.

Mr. Siddaramaiah also denied any confusion over the date or venue of the Cabinet meeting and said that it would be held as scheduled on February 15 at MM Hills. Such meetings were being held in different parts of the State in an effort to expedite solutions to local problems, he added.