Not mandatory for Army to tackle Naxal menace: Chief

New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor on Wednesday said that it is not mandatory for the Army to be directly associated with anti-Naxal operations.

“The government has a multi-dimensional approach to this issue. Direct involvement of the army however remains instrumental in strengthening various institutions which have to deal with this matter,” Kapoor said.

The Centre had earlier rejected Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's demand for deployment of Army in Maoist-affected areas of West Bengal, saying use of armed forces for internal security was the "last resort".

Agreeing that Naxal violence was a serious threat to internal security, the Government said the Centre would render all help to the affected states.

The government has also said that tribal and Maoist-affected states need more development.