Congress on Wednesday sought to disapprove of senior party leader Digvijay Singh publicly expressing his differences with home minister P Chidambaram on the issue of tackling Naxalites saying such views should be expressed only in party forums.

"Congress is a democratic party. Every one has a right to express his or her views but such views should be expressed within the party forums only," AICC general secretary in-charge and media department chief Janardan Dwivedi said.

His remarks came in response to queries about AICC general secretary in-charge for Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh's article in a newspaper saying he differed with the home minister over treating the Naxalite issue as a law and order problem and called for a rethink of the counter-Maoist strategy.

"In this case (regarding Maoists), I have differed with his (Chidambaram's) strategy that does not take into consideration the people living in the affected area, who ultimately matter. He is treating it purely as a law and order problem without taking into consideration the issues that affect the tribals," Singh has said.

Singh, in whose tenure as chief minister the Maoist-affected Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh, said, "When I raised these issues with him (Chidambaram), he said it was not his responsibility."

Singh said he has known Chidambaram since 1985 when he and the home minister were both elected to Parliament.

"He is extremely intelligent, articulate, committed and a sincere politician - but extremely rigid once he makes up his mind. I have been a victim of his intellectual arrogance many times, but we still are good friends," he said.

Earlier report:

Digvijay Singh launches broadside at Chidambaram

Days after the Maoists butchered 76 paramilitary personnel and the Centre vowed to add more muscle to its anti-Maoists operations, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, in a signed piece in The Economic Times on Wednesday, cautioned Union Home Minister P Chidambaram against treating the issue purely as a law and order problem. Singh, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, which included the Maoist-affected Chhattisgarh as well before the division of the state in 2000, said Chidambaram's strategy failed to take into consideration the people living in the affected area.

“He (Chidambaram) is extremely intelligent, articulate, committed and a sincere politician, but extremely rigid once he makes up his mind,” Singh writes, “I have been a victim of his intellectual arrogance many times, but we still are good friends."

Singh does not stop at that. “I strongly believe in the collective responsibility of the Cabinet, and as home minister, it is his responsibility to take a holistic view of the issue and put it up to the Cabinet rather than opt for a narrow sectarian view.” he adds.

Singh takes on the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, as well. “How does the BJP win from most of the polling booths controlled by the Maoists?” he asks, “BJP, which has been in power in Chhattisgarh since 2003, has supported Salwa Judum and has taken a ‘tough stand' against the Naxalites still managed to get the Maoists’ support in the 2008 Vidhan Sabha and 2009 Lok Sabha elections.”

For more, read the complete piece.