Making all possible efforts to woo Naxals, she invited them for talks on development and even offered to mediate with the Centre. And her offer was accepted ¿ at least by the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA). But much to her chagrin, their choice of mediator was her estranged parliamentarian Kabir Suman.

“We welcome the call by Mamata, but we want to talk to Trinamool MP Kabir Suman only. We believe him and think that he is above politics,” said Dhanapati, PCAPA leader.

Dhanapati’s response came after Banerjee asked them “with folded hands” to shun violence. “I am ready to touch your feet. Give up arms and talk about development,” she said at the sparsely-attended rally. “If you want expansion of railway projects, job opportunities, schools and hospitals, you are free to hold talks.”

Banerjee’s comments were in stark contrast to what she had said about a week ago in Kolkata, when she had virtually announced a war on Maoists.

On Friday, she made it clear that she will do everything for the development of Jangalmahal.

“I want to build railway tracks till Belpahari and connect the area with the rest of the state,” she said. “I have plans to run two pairs of trains between Midnapore and Jhargram. I am considering a proposal to ensure a stoppage of the Bhubaneswar-Delhi Rajdhani Express at Jhargram. If necessary I can convince the Centre to prepare a special package for the overall development of Jhargram and Jangalmahal.”

But she made it clear that the ruling CPM are in no way to be involved — “because its minister Sushanta Ghosh, its leaders Dipak Sarkar, Tapan Ghosh, Sukur Ali are supplying arms to the Maoists to kill people”.

The Trinamool chief also asked Maoists why they were targeting her party workers. “You stay well and let us stay well,” she added.

She also served a seven-day ultimatum on Maoists to consider her development proposals for Jangalmahal — the failure of which will force her to hold rallies and meetings in the Maoist-infested Lalgarh.

This was the first time that a front line political party has been able to hold a political rally in the area since unrest started there a year ago.

Still, the PCAPA had declared a diktat, ordering villagers not to attend the Trinamool rally and held its own parallel rally in Banstolla near Jhargram, which was attended by around 15,000 villagers.

Most of the 5000-strong crowd at the Trinamool rally had come mostly from Midnapore town and East Midnapore district — currently a party stronghold.