Puducherry, April 10 (Inditop.com) Home Minister P. Chidambaram Saturday said he had decided to quit after the Dantewada massacre because the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that lost 75 men came under his charge. But he added that the resignation was a “closed chapter”.
“Yes, I did offer to resign. The resignation was indeed tendered. The prime minister rejected it. The matter is a closed chapter,” Chidambaram told reporters here, and refused to comment further on the issue.
The home minister said he wanted to quit after Tuesday’s Maoist attack in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh because the “CRPF is under my charge”.
The CRPF lost 75 men and a Chhattisgarh policeman was also killed in the attack, one of the worst by Maoists.
“This tragedy has happened under my watch. Therefore, I said the buck stops at my desk,” Chidambaram maintained.
He, however, said this “does not mean that the state governments have no role (to play in containing Maoist violence)”.
“They have a role, they acknowledge it, recognise, and according to me, all the state governments are fully aware of this responsibility,” he added.
