Patil a weak home minister of a weak PM: BJP

Holding the United Progressive Alliance government at the centre solely responsible for the massive naxalite attack in
Jehanabad, Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Pramod Mahajan on Monday demanded the immediate resignation of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Bihar Governor Buta Singh, besides seeking a white paper on naxalite activities across the country.

"Patil has proved to be a very weak home minister of a weak prime minister and not competent to hold all important home portfolio," he told reporters in Patna.

• Images: Jehanabad: Night of terror

Terming the naxalite attack as 'black day' for the country and the greatest slur on the law and order situation in Bihar, he said both Patil and Buta Singh should resign owning moral responsibility.

He blamed the Centre's policy for the spurt in naxalite activities and said the extremists have created a 'red corridor' right from Nepal to Tamil Nadu.

• Image: After Operation Jailbreak

Demanding a white paper on naxal menace, Mahajan said the naxalites posed a serious challenge and the Centre should convene an all party meeting to evolve a national policy to deal with the problem, which had affected 157 districts in 17 states.

• Jehanabad: BJP blames UPA policy

He also condemned the lathi-charge on journalists by the district administration on Monday.

Meanwhile, Mahajan praised the Election Commission for conducting 'almost' incident free elections in the first three phases of the assembly polls in Bihar and claimed that as per the feedback received so far the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was inching towards majority.