Home Minister Amit Shah shoots down Saugata Roy’s advice on handling Naxalism Bengal-style

New Delhi: Question Hour in the Lok Sabha saw a spirited exchange between Trinamool MP Saugata Roy and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday over controlling Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

Bringing up the issue of extremism in the country, Saugata Roy said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday that every week, there is news about clashes and encounters between security forces and Maoists.

Speaking during Question Hour Saugata Roy added, “There was Left Wing Extremism in West Bengal, but the Mamata Banerjee government controlled it there, worked on development and gave jobs to tribals."

Saugata questioned, "Will the Union Home Minister, and state ministers follow the model of West Bengal and adopt it in Chhattisgarh and other states as well? Because, they are not able to control Left Wing Extremism."

The MP’s comments came in the wake of recent attacks by Naxals in Chhattisgarh.

In mid-July, as many as two security personnel lost their lives, and four others were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast triggered by Naxals in Bijapur District in Chhattisgarh.

Similarly in June, two CRPF personnel were killed in an IED blast by Naxalites in Sukma District in Chhattisgarh. The IED blast took place near Timmapuram village between Silger and Tekalgudem camps in Sukma District of security forces, over 400 km from Raipur.

Replying to the Trinamool MP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "If any state does well, then Prime Minister Modi’s government has no problem in implementing its example in the whole country. But I believe that no state would want the model of West Bengal to be adopted there."

This is not the first time Saugata Roy has criticised the Union government on its policies.

Earlier on Thursday, speaking in the Lok Sabha, the senior Trinamool MP accused the Centre of transforming the education system of the country into a money-laundering enterprise.

Saugata Roy also condemned the administration for failing to address the RSS' growing interference in the education sector.

During a debate on the Union education ministry's grant demands in the Lok Sabha, the MP for Dum Dum pointed out the absence of world-class institutions in India and questioned why the country lacks a single educational center that is on par with Harvard, Cambridge, or Yale.