Ramchander Rao calls TPCC's chief’s remarks on ‘Operation Kagar’ irresponsible

BJP Telangana State unit President N Ramchander Rao condemned the allegations made by TPCC Chief Mahesh Kumar Goud against the Union Government regarding ‘Operation Kagar’. He described the Congress leader’s remarks--that the Centre was “vindictively killing Maoists under the guise of Operation Kagar”--as irresponsible and misleading to the public.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Rao recalled that Telangana has witnessed decades of violence and devastation due to Maoist attacks, leaving countless families shattered. He pointed out that senior leaders, including former Speaker Sripada Rao, Chittem Narsi Reddy and Ragya Nayak, were killed by Maoists.

“Have these incidents been forgotten? To portray Maoists as fighters for the poor is disgraceful and an insult to the families of victims. What assurance or respect does this give to the police and citizens who lost their lives in Maoist violence?” he asked.

Highlighting Congress’s own record, Rao said that the highest number of encounters against Maoists occurred during Congress rule. “The entire country knows how Maoists were dealt with then. To now accuse the Centre while playing politics is laughable,” he remarked.

He also criticised former IPS officer RS Praveen Kumar for expressing sympathy towards Maoists, calling it a “double tongued approach.” Rao noted that Kumar himself had participated in encounters earlier, yet now sought to project sympathy for extremists.

Clarifying the Centre’s position, Rao emphasised that the government’s objective was clear: to protect citizens from violence, Naxalism and Maoist attacks across the country. “This is not elimination, it is protection. It is not revenge, but a constitutional responsibility,” he asserted.

He accused Mahesh Kumar Goud’s comments of indirectly encouraging crime and rubbing salt into the wounds of thousands of families who lost loved ones to Maoist attacks. “Those who justify violence become complicit in it. They, too, are accountable before the law,” Rao warned.

Demanding an immediate apology, Rao said, “Mahesh Kumar Goud must apologise to the families of innocent civilians, police personnel, and public representatives killed in Maoist attacks. Otherwise, he will stand as a leader who insulted democracy and indirectly promoted violence, liable for punishment under law.”