Raj Babbar’s Naxal remarks stir row

Bhopal: Congress star campaigner and yesteryear Bollywood actor Raj Babbar on Saturday described the Naxals as “revoluntaries” fighting for the causes of the poor, landing his party in embarrassment.

Chief minister Raman Singh took strong exception to his remarks saying that Congress always sympathised with Maoists for political gains.

Mr Babbar who was on a whirlwind tour of Chhattisgarh to campaign for the party in the state going to Assembly elections in two phases on November 12 and 20, said in Raipur that the no forces can stop those who sought change through revolutions.

However, in a damage control exercise, he changed his stand on the vexed issue saying, “Solutions cannot be found when guns blaze from both sides (Naxals and police)”.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman in Chhattisgarh castigated Mr Babbar for “supporting” Naxals for electoral gains.

“It is now established that Congress was trying to use Maoists to win elections in Bastar comprising 12 Assembly constituencies,” he observed.