An all-party meeting held in Raipur on April
23 to discuss proposals to secure
the release of abducted Sukma District
Magistrate, Alex P. Menon, concluded
with the Chhattisgarh Government calling
off Security Force (SF) operations
in Bastar and agreeing to negotiate
with the Communist Party of India-Maoist
(CPI-Maoist), reports The Hindu. As reported earlier,
Menon was abducted on April 21, 2012.
Later in the night, Maoists named three mediators
– Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan,
former National SC/ST Commission chairperson
B D Sharma and President of All India
Adivasi Mahasabha Manish Kunjam -
for negotiations. In a statement,
the Maoists also termed Menon’s health
as critical and asked the mediators
to bring medicines along with them.
They said only the three persons named
by them will be allowed to negotiate
in Tarmetla village and asked them
to accept the invitation to act as
mediators.
However, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Kunjam
have declined to mediate, adds DNA. |
