Bhopal: The Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Arun Sao, today had a meeting with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav at the CM House in Bhopal. A delegation from Akil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was also present at the meeting, which was conducted for about an hour.

The Deputy CM Arun Sao reached Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Then, on the previous day, the Navayal Foundation had Oruganti sit in the ‘Shaligram Tomar Memorial Ceremony’. Sao had a busy day today, and one of the meetings was with MP’s Chief Minister, Dr Mohan Yadav. After this, Deputy CM Sao held a press briefing, reiterating how he had known CM Yadav since the early nineties. Sao nodded at that, ‘Well we have been friends since then, and I have been in Bhopal only from yesterday but today’s was a very productive meeting.’

Among the issues which were a matter of concern, focus has been paid to the constant Naxal menace, which is a constant problem in both these states. Chief Deputy Sao included comments on the genesis of the problem under Naxals in the Former Congress-governed Indian Government. He said, “We drove out the Naxal problem after coming to power in 2003 in Chhattisgarh. The government headed by us then expelled Naxal from the entire Sarguja region of the state. But due to the Congress

government, Naxalites were again patronised and fondly nurtured, and this mishap has taken place.”

This leads towards the understanding of the marked change in the attitude with regard to dealing with Maoists and the different faces of the BJP as compared to Congress. He expressed appreciation for the BJP’s effort in the early part of this two thousand fives that he feels have minimized the nagging Naxal operations. However, he attacked the Congress for ignoring it, which, according to him, has led to the resurgiment of Naxali in the area.