West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said the Ayodhya hills in Purulia district have become a safe haven for Maoists and asked police to remove the ultras from hideouts there.

“Maoists are hiding in the jungles of Ayodhya hills. From there, they are carrying out killings in Balarampur, Arsha and Jhalda. I have asked the police to weed them out of the Ayodhya hills and to ensure that they cannot stay there,” he said at a public meeting in Balarampur on Sunday.

Bhattacharjee’s directive came as Intelligence Branch officer Partha Biswas and NGO worker Soumyajit Basu, who were kidnapped from the hills on 22nd October were yet to be traced.

He claimed that Maoists had killed 42 CPI(M) activists at Balarampur, Baghmundi and Arsha in the recent past and of these, 23 were killed in Balarampur alone.

“I have received letters from school girls who have complained that they were afraid to go to school because they were being threatened by Maoists on their way. Shall we tolerate this? We shall have to resist them at all costs,” Bhattacharjee said.

Referring to the kidnapping of Biswas and Basu, the Chief Minister said, “Maoists have kidnapped them. Today is November 14, but still there is no trace of them. We are trying our best to rescue them alive.”

Accusing Maoists of trying to usurp power in the state and the Centre, the chief minister said his government would not allow the ultras to raise their heads.

“I have asked the police to see that Maoists cannot raise their heads in Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore,” he said.

Calling upon the people to unite against Maoists, Bhattacharjee said the ultras cannot face the united resistance of the people just as the Naxalite movement dissipated in the face of public resistance.

“Let us pledge that we will not allow Maoists to raise their heads. The government will stand by you with all its power,” he told the gathering.

Bhattacharjee charged the Trinamool Congress with holding the hands of Maoists as it was unable to defeat the Left Front politically.

“Maoists are not only killing CPI(M) workers. They are also killing those belonging to the Forward Bloc, the CPI and RSP. As the Trinamool Congress cannot defeat the Leftists politically, it stands to gain if activists of the Left parties are killed,” Bhattacharjee alleged.

Accusing the Trinamool Congress of misleading the youth by promising them jobs, Bhattacharjee said, “They are lying. To create jobs you need industries. The Railways are laying off a large chunk of its workforce. I am telling the youth not to support Trinamool.”

In an indirect dig at Mamata Banerjee, he said, “Work on setting up two steel factories in Purulia is going on in full swing and we did not go away after laying the foundation stone. The factories will commissioned soon.”

Pointing out that up to 6,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created once the industries become operational; he said the government would now set up polytechnics to train the youth for employment in these units.

Quoting a report from the Centre that the Trinamool Congress-controlled East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas zilla parishads were the worst performers among the 18 zilla parishads in the state, Bhattacharjee alleged that the Trinamool Congress was “incapable” of working for the people.

He also attacked the Congress, saying it was responsible for the price hike in the country.