Warning Maoists who have rejected her ultimatum to surrender, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hoped that 'good sense' would still prevail and warned the Left-wing ultras that her patience was wearing thin.
Banerjee, who is on her third visit to Jungle Mahal, said, "I have given lot of time and if good sense prevails, I have no objections. I will give you food, jobs, houses and roads and consider your cases."
"I had hoped that you would demand rice for the poor, roads and jobs. If you have the guts, stop killing covertly and come out into the open. The people will fight you. I will not allow the Ayodhya Hills to be bloodied any more," she said.
Presenting the aged and frail-looking mother of Trinanool Congress leader Jitu Singh Sardar, who was killed in Balarampur area in Purulia last week, she said "Is this poor old lady a class enemy?"
"Why should you kill poor people like cowards? Is it Stalinism or Maoism? Politics is not done under the cover of darkness," she said, adding that those who had gone over to the Maoists were returning and facing threats from the ultras.
Reminding that her government had suspended anti-Maoist operations by the joint security forces for four months, expecting the Maoists to come forward with demands for the people of Jungle Mahal, she said, "You are not my enemies, but those who kill are my enemies."
Referring to the reported hit list of her party leaders drawn up by Maoists, she said "Do you want to kill me or (Union minister) Mukul (Roy) or (MP) Subhendu (Adhikary)?"
Banerjee also alleged that the Maoists had teamed up with Communist Party of India - Marxist cadres.
"The CPI-M harmards have infiltrated into the Maoist camps and are using CPI-M's guns. They have a joint venture," she alleged.
