Rajnath calls for 'unity of purpose' to tackle Maoists

Calling for "unity of purpose" amongst all Naxal-affected states, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday advocated the formation of a strategic and unified command to foil attempts to "stall development and throttle democracy at gunpoint".

Inaugurating a meeting of top officials and chief ministers of 10 Naxal-affected states, the home minister spoke about the many steps that need to be taken to counter the guerrillas and said there should be immediate measures such as choking their finances.

Economic resources, he said, play an important role in any war — only when money is available is it possible to buy, eat, drink and possess ammunition and weapons.

"Therefore, choking the financial resources of the left wing extremists is the most basic mantra in this fight," he said at the meeting being held two weeks after an ambush in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, in which 25 paramilitary personnel were killed.

He also said unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) would be pressed into service to bust their hideouts.