Police should tackle Naxals not common man: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has criticised the Chhattisgarh government for giving arms to the people to take on the Naxalites.

The apex court said the police and paramilitary forces should be deployed to tackle the Naxals and not common people.

Questioning the anti-Naxal Salwa Judum movement started by the state government in 2005, the Supreme Court also called for an independent assessment of the situation arising out of it. The court was hearing a petition that demanded disbanding of the Salwa Judum.

Earlier, the Veerappa Moily committee appointed by the Centre had slammed Salwa Judum and demanded a ban on it. The case will come up for hearing next on April 15.

Till date both the Centre and state governments have been denying their role in propping up the movement. The Moily Commission, however, has said Naxalism cannot be defeated by counter-insurgency movements.

Chhattisgarh is the worst affected state in the country with over 12,000 km of Indian territory outside the control of the government. Over 50, 000 tribals have been forced to take refuge in state-protected camps.

Salva Judum is largely a creation of divisive state politics, particularly the opposition Congress.