Maoists must abjure violence, come for talks: PC

Lamenting the recent killing of innocent civilians by Maoists, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the Communist Party of India (Maoist) should "abjure violence and come forward for talks".

But he said there had been no direct and credible response from the Maoists in regard to the offer for talks.

The Indian State has been able to stand up to the challenges posed by forces inimical to India both within and outside the country, he said at the inauguration  ceremony of the three-day conference of DGPs/IGPs in Delhi on Thursday.

The home minister appealed for continuous efforts for capacity building at central as well as state level to encounter terrorism.

On Jammu and Kashmir, Chidambaram said the security forces had been instructed to act with great restraint.

The Centre has offered dialogue with all sections of people and all political parties and groups in the state, he said.

Chidambaram also paid tribute to the "men and women of the security forces who have bravely confronted the many challenges to internal security. Some of them have made the supreme sacrifice".

He said majority of Indians acknowledged the "the work of our security forces".

'Like any other body of men and women, the security forces too have their shortcomings, but nothing that is said or written can take away a jot from the fact that the security forces are the first line of defence of our democracy and liberty," said the Union home minister.

He said: "Experience shows that if there is clarity of purpose and a well-enunciated policy, the security forces will be able to deliver. For example, we announced a policy of zero tolerance of cross border terrorism, and we initiated a number of steps to build capacity, augment intelligence, raise special forces, acquire modern equipment, impart better training and take counter-terrorism measures.

"As a result, save for one incident, the last 21 months have been remarkably free of any terrorist attack. The attack on the German Bakery in Pune was indeed a blot. I sincerely hope that the suspects will be apprehended as soon as possible," he said.

However, he cautioned that this did not mean that the terrorists had gone forever and that there was no let up in infiltration by radicals into India.