Patna,(BiharTimes): Disagreeing with the Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday advocated a soft approach towards Maoists.

Talking to the media he opposed the “no talks with Naxalites” stand of Rajnath Singh. The latter, while addressing the DGPs and home secretaries of 10 Maoists-hit states (including Bihar), made public the Narendra Modi government’s stand in dealing with the Left extremism.

However, the Bihar chief minister, himself a Mahadalit from the Maoists‘ infested Gaya district, said one must find out the reason why a person becomes a Naxalite. If economically and socially backward classes do not get their dues they get frustrated. “If we take development to the huts of the poor people it will definitely bring an end to Maoism,” he said.

He claimed that Maoist-related violence had come down in Bihar because of efforts made by the state government in the last few years. He said that the state government had brought in development in areas that were once the hotbed of Maoist violence.

A few years back the Nitish government had launched a government-at-your-door scheme in Maoist-hit areas and opposed the proposal to launch Operation Green Hunt against them.

The chief minister said that his government would continue to follow the policy of his predecessor in dealing with the ultras Left outfits.