Maoists flourish only in non-Congress states: Ramesh

Bhubaneswar: Maoist activities have flourished in the states where the Congress is not in power, union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday.

"Maoists are strong only in areas where the Congress party is weak. In Jharkhand, Congress party is weak. In Odisha, the Congress is not in power," the minister told a gathering in Nuapada district in Odisha.

"Wherever the Congress party is weak, the Maoists got the patronage," he said in district headquarters town of Nuapada, about 450 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. The region is considered a Maoist stronghold.

The minister visited several villages close to the town, interacted with villagers and reviewed implementation of schemes launched by his ministry.