Chhattisgarh CM hints on filing review petition against SC verdict on SPOs

New Delhi, July 16 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday said that the state government was mulling over filing a review petition in the Supreme Court against its order of appointing tribals as Special Police Officers (SPOs) in its Salwa Judum counter-insurgency operation against the Maoists.

Singh said that the state government would continue its efforts to maintain peace and order in the state along with abiding the apex court's directives.

"The matter is in the Supreme Court. A judgment was given and we have to abide by directives given by the Supreme Court, to be followed in six weeks' time. The state government would continue its work to maintain peace and order in the state, keeping the directives issued by the Supreme Court in mind, there is no second thought about it," he said on the sidelines of the 83rd Foundation Day of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) here.

Singh further said that the state government was consulting senior lawyers Harish Salve and Arun Jaitley for filing a review petition against the judgment.

"We have taken advice from senior counsel, (Harish) Salve, (Arun) Jaitley and some others, we are definitely pondering over taking it forward for review," he added.

On July 5, the apex court asked the Chhattisgarh Government to stop appointing tribals as SPOs in its anti-Maoist operation.

An apex court bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar said the eligibility criteria, which includes the educational qualification and training of the tribals to combat Maoists goes against the provisions of the Constitution.he apex court further said that creation of Koya Commandos and Salwa Judum was in violation of the Constitution.

The Special Police Officers (SPOs) have reportedly been given the name of Koya Commandos after that of a tribe in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada region.

Salwa Judum, or peace march, was an anti-Maoist organisation that was launched in 2005 as a people's resistance movement against the Maoist rebels. (ANI)