Yechury takes on Mamata for equating Maoists with Marxists

Kolkata, Nov 2 : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury Monday ridiculed Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee saying no one with knowledge of history would have equated his party with the Maoists.

"If somebody knows history, has read history, he or she cannot say this," Yechury told mediapersons here.

He recalled that the Maoists had broken away from the CPI-M in the 1960s. "And for years, their main target was the CPI-M," he said.

On Sunday, Banerjee described the Maoists and Marxists as "opposite sides of the same coin".

Yechury also disagreed with the view that the joint security operation launched in Lalgarh in West Midnapore district to flush out Maoists had failed.

"They have arrested Chhattradhar Mahato (Maoist-backed tribal body People's Committee Against Police Atrocities leader). Earlier, you used to say why is he not being arrested.

"And now that Mahato has been put behind bars, you are asking why (CPI-Maoist politburo member) Kishenji is not being arrested."

Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji has been in the forefront of Maoist activities in the state.

--IANS