Naxalism will end in next three-five years: Rajnath

Raipur: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday expressed confidence over eliminating naxalism in the coming three-five years and asked Maoists to join the mainstream by surrendering under the rehabilitation policy for them.

"Naxalism will end in next three to five years. The surrender process is continuous and the government has decided to make the rehabilitation policy more effective," he told reporters here during his two-day election campaigning in Chhattisgarh.

Rajnath Singh said Maoism was going through its last phase and that it had been reduced from ninety districts to only ten or eleven districts of the country.

He said earlier the killing of security personnel was more but the number of casualty of Maoists has increased with forces having an upper hand.

The Minister appealed to the Maoists to shun the path of violence and surrender, assuring them of providing benefits of rehabilitation policy being pursued by the government.

The Minister mocked at the Congress for not declaring its Chief Ministerial candidate in Chhattisgarh, saying "Congress is moving ahead with a marriage procession without the groom".

"The Congress as well as all opposition political parties have been currently facing a crisis of credibility. The Congress has lost its inherent strength which is the base of any political party. This is the reason the Congress hasn't so far announced its Chief Ministerial candidate (in Chhattisgarh)," he said.

Congress, which is seeking to end 15 years of BJP rule in Chhattisgarh, has so far not declared its Chief Ministerial candidate in the state that will go for the second phase of Assembly polls in 72 of the 90 constituencies on November 20 to elect a new Assembly. The first phase concluded on November 12.

Calling Congress manifesto a "postdated cheque", the Minister said: "the Congress recently launched its manifesto. What is the purpose of launching the manifesto when a political party has lost its faith in public and there is no credibility of its promises."

Rajnath Singh said the faith of people in the state has increased in Bharatiya Janata Party and its Chief Minister Raman Singh.

"I am saying it on the basis of reading the mood of people after the first phase of Assembly elections and attending three public meetings on Wednesday. Generally, credibility of crisis arises among people against any political party or the Chief Minister who work for long time. But there is a reverse impact in Chhattisgarh. Despite working for 15 years, people's faith has increased for Raman Singh."

Rajnath Singh said that Raman Singh's government has done a wonderful work in Chhattisgarh since 2003.

"Chhattisgarh's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has risen to more than 3.25 lakh crore from around 39,000 crore in 2003. This is not a small thing."