New Delhi: As the outlawed CPI (Maoist) called for truce at a time when the Lok Sabha polls have kicked off across the country, the Centre on Monday treaded with caution and asked the banned outfit to lay down arms before offering to hold peace talks with the government.
Reacting to the Maoists offer, the home ministry officials on Monday said if the outfit is serious on holding a peace dialogue it should immediately withdraw the poll boycott and abstain from violence.
The pre-condition for any talks is the laying down of arms by the outfit, the officials said. “The CPI (Maoist) needs to clarify its stand on whether they are ready to lay down arms,” the MHA officials said.
The home ministry said the Maoists also need to make the atmosphere conducive for talks by withdrawing the poll boycott call to re-affirm their faith in the Parliamentary democracy. “They should stop killing civilians forthwith,” top officials in the MHA said.
MHA officials said if the Maoists respond to these three conditions through the media, they will be open to the idea of considering the Maoists’ call for peace talks.
Officials said the Maoists should also publicly apologise for killing more than 4,800 civilians, mostly Adivasis, since 2004. In a recent interview, spokesperson Abhay said the party was not against peace talks.
