Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said today Meena had not done the right thing. “Anybody can call you but why should you talk to all of them? It was not acceptable to us. We have told all principal secretaries and other officials not to take such calls,” he said but added no disciplinary action against Meena was on the cards.

On December 23, Kishenji called Meena around 11.30 pm and told him about the pollution being created by sponge iron factories around Lalgarh. He also asked the secretary why the government was allowing these factories to come up there and warned of action by Maoists if the government did not do anything.

Meena not only explained the government’s policy and action plan on these factories but he also gave the Naxalite leader names and phone numbers of officials of the Pollution Control Board and asked Kishenji to contact them.

Meena later contacted Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen who told him to submit a report to Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti.

However, Meena did not tell the home secretary what transpired between him and the Naxalite leader.

Sen also mocked at the Maoists’ concern over the pollution by sponge iron saying they themselves were taking care of them. “They are burning down these factories. So, why should they seek government help?” the home secretary said.