New Delhi, Nov. 8: The Centre and the Bengal government put out confusing signals about the official plan of action concerning Maoists on a day the rebels killed four members of a paramilitary force in West Midnapore.

Union home secretary G.K. Pillai not only dismissed Operation Green Hunt, as the expected big-bang crackdown on Maoists across several states has come to be known, as a figment of the media’s imagination, but also clarified conditions under which Delhi was prepared to open talks.

“We have asked them to come for a dialogue by abjuring violence. We have not asked them to lay down arms,” he told reporters, suggesting that a ceasefire would be enough to start talks.

While Pillai said the idea of Operation Green Hunt had been created by the media, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee disclosed on a visit to the Maoist-affected zone that the proposed Delhi-led crackdown would not cover Bengal.

“It (Operation Green Hunt) will not take place in our state. It is for the other three states (seven are, in fact, listed as affected),” he said.

The chief minister also ruled out talks with the Maoists. “They are not Maoists, they are criminals.”

Pillai, however, conducted a conversation with them through the media following a CPI (Maoist) statement from spokesperson Azad questioning the government’s supposed call to lay down arms.

“Some dialogue, some process is starting. Let us see. But unless they give up violence I don’t think it is possible to talk,” he said.

The government also offered a no-first-fire pact. “If nobody fires at us, we will not fire back at anybody.” Strict instructions have been given to security forces to follow the dictum, he said. Over 50,000 troops are deployed in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa.

Pillai put a poser before the rebels: “Do the Maoists believe in multi-party democracy?”

Pillai said China could be a source of arms for the Maoists. “Chinese are big smugglers. I am sure that the Maoists also get them.”