Govt to overrule Centre’s objection

However,sources said the state government believes the release of senior Maoist leaders is important in view of the Mamata Banerjee’s efforts to establish peace in Junglemahal. Significantly,National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon,during his meeting with Mamata Banerjee earlier,had also conveyed to her about the Centre’s objection to the proposed release of Maoist leaders in Bengal. However,despite these objections,Banerjee has decided to release 52 political prisoners including Chandi Sarkar and Pradip Chatterjee,both lodged in Nadia correctional home.

“The state government has overruled the Centre’s objection to the release of the Maoist leaders,” said a member of the review committee on political prisoners. “In our second list of recommendation,we have included some of the prisoners who are accused in cases filed against Maoists. We have to recommend their release as they are a major section of the political prisoners. If we do not release some of the Maoists leaders,then the peace talk and the CM’s efforts for a truce in Junglemahal will fail,” added the member. According to sources,the review committee has included six of the Gorkha Liberation Organization (GLO) members in their recommendation list. The six GLO members recommended for release include GLO founder Chattrey Subba,who was arrested on the charges of attacking GNLF chief Subhash Ghising.