Ahmedabad: Facing arrest on charges of murder and kidnapping, Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah, a close associate of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, resigned from the government on Saturday but remained untraceable for the CBI. Forty six-year-old Shah, who has been slapped charges of murder and kidnapping in the fake encounter killing of alleged gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi in 2005, sent his resignation to Modi's residence this morning, which will be accepted, the Chief Minister said this morning on arrival in Delhi.

Modi, who is in New Delhi to attend a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) meeting announced Shah's resignation but contended that he was "completely innocent" and that the charges against him were "politically motivated" by the Congress government at the Centre.

The resignation of a man, considered a very close associate of Modi, did not not, however, impress the Congress which said it was "too little, too late".

The congress and C.P.I. have registered their protest separately against the shooting - down a tribal village youth Bandi S/o Gonja by Sukma police a day back, shooting in encounter, even after the fact that said tribal youth was under police custody.

Dantewada D.C.C president and MLA Konta Kawasi Lakhma has stated that prime-responsibility of security forces is to confirm security of common masses, gaining trusts of local tribal villagers with motive to accelerate its info net-work in naxal affected areas. The forces must act on the line of Judiciary that no innocent is penalized, it is to be assured, and these mandatory orders must be obeyed by forces strictly. He also emphasized upon taking in to cognigance over sensitive-issues raised over by political-leaderships in public-interest. Lakhma has demanded for judicial enquiry in to the killing of youth under Sukma police custody.

The C.P.I. secretary and ex. M.L.A Konta Manish Kunjam has also unfolded his anger over killing of Bandi by Sukma police, even after the fact the Bandi was neither a naxalite nor having any nexus with naxal out fits. Kunjam expressing anguishes, over this incident has further stated, it seems that both the naxals and security forces have obtained the valid licenses for killing the tribals, and innocents are being killed by both the opponents.

A day after Naxals unleashed another attack in Chattisgarh, Home Minister P Chidambaram made a fresh offer on Tuesday to hold talks if they suspend violence even for just 72 hours but the Left-wing extremists rejected it.

"Maoists should say 'we will abjure violence. We will suspend violence and actually suspend violence for 72 hours'. We will get the Chief Ministers on board. We will respond. We will fix a date, time and place for talks and let the Maoists come for the talks on anything they wish to talk," Chidambaram said.

Naxal leader Ramanna who said in Bastar district in Chhattisgarh, "we cannot give up our weapons" dismissed the offer.

He said the Naxal's had responded to the Home Minister's earlier offer for talks. "But the Government did not believe us. There is a heavy presence of security forces and their atrocities are continuing every day," he said.

Ramanna said the attack on the civilian bus in Dantewada district yesterday was aimed at Special Police Officers who were travelling on it. 35 passengers including SPOs were killed when their bus blown up by the Naxals.

"The administration used civilians as human shields, so they got killed. But I regret this," he said.