The war of words between the government and rebel outfit CPI (Maoist) took a new dimension on Thursday as a leader of the banned outfit said they were ready to shed the last drop of blood in the fight against the government for the sake of the “revolution”.

The statement came from CPI (Maoist ) Politburo member Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, who has been in and around Lalgarh for over a year now.

He said “the statement from P. Chidambaram that he would fight the battle against the Maoists till the last drop of blood exists in him was expected. But the CPI (Maoist) would like to tell him that the revolutionary mass is also ready to shed the last drop of their blood for the sake of the revolution.”

According to the Maoist leader, they have no objection in talking to the government given that all the central and the state forces are withdrawn.

“The people are going ahead with their revolutionary goals.” Kishenji added. “But we are quite sure the government will go ahead with its plan to... gag the voice of the people by launching offensives.”