Lalgarh, July 31 (ANI): Maoists provoked Lalgarh villagers to protest against the deployment of security forces since they reclaimed the Maoist held ‘liberated zone.’

The Maoists were evicted from the trouble-torn Lalgarh region at June 20 after an almost week-long joint operation by the State and Centre’s elite security forces.

But the villagers have continued protests since, demanding the security forces to retreat to normal days, a move which officials apprehend is a ploy to give the Maoists a foothold again.

“I was a member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) but I have quit because of the wrong policies of the party,” said Asoke Mahato, an activist of People’s Committee against Police Atrocities, a pro-Maoist forum.

On Thursday, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that violence at Lalgarh should stop immediately. Chidambaram said he would talk to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya on this issue.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee demanded for an immediate end to the joint operations being carried out by the State and Central forces against the Maoists.

On Tuesday, top leaders of the Trinamool Congress, including two Union ministers, visited Lalgarh and called for an end to the operations.

Earlier, the Government at the Centre banned and formally labelled the Maoist insurgents “a terrorist group”, hoping it would give security forces more enforcement powers after the rebels briefly created a ‘liberated zone’ in West Bengal. (ANI)