Calcutta, July 9: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said political parties should not “underestimate” the Maoists’ threat to the state but urged caution on the application of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against suspected rebels as it has some “dangerous” sections.

During a debate on the home department’s budget in the Assembly, the chief minister said: “These Maoists do not believe in democracy as we do. Please do not underestimate that threat and I urge the entire House to sink political differences on it.’’

Bhattacharjee also reminded the Congress and Trinamul Congress that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said the Maoists were the “biggest threat” to internal security.

When Opposition leader Partha Chatterjee complained that innocents were being arrested in the name of containing the Maoists, Bhattacharjee shot back saying that all 39 people arrested during the Lalgarh security operation were booked under the Indian Penal Code, not the central act.

“Some sections of the central act banning Maoists are dangerous (marattak) in nature,” he said. “We shall not use the central act indiscriminately. This is why I have not authorised police stations to use the act against those arrested in the Maoist-infested districts. The decision on implementing the central act will be taken at the highest administrative level. Without the home secretary’s permission the act cannot be used.”

When the CPI (Maoist) was brought under the purview of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Bhattacharjee supported the Centre’s step. “The central act banning the CPI (Maoist) will be applicable to all states across the nation, so Bengal cannot be an exception,” he said last month.

The Left allies, however, opposed the ban as well as the arrest of Maoist spokesperson Gour Chakraborty under the law.

On June 28, two youths arrested in Bankura were also charged under the central law by the police. But the government dropped the charges against Kanchan Murmu and Gopinath Murmu and charged them under the IPC. “So far, only Maoist spokesperson Gour Chakraborty has been arrested under the act,” a home department official said.

Bomb in Bankura

Police today recovered an improvised explosive device from Bikrampur, 3km from Sarenga police station, in Bankura.

Local residents noticed wires snaking into a paddy field. The device contained about 4kg of explosives. The police suspect it was planted last night.