Maoists call for bandh in TS, AP, Dandakaranya on March 7

Warangal: The Maoists have called for bandh in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Dandakarayna on March 7 in protest against the killing of nine Maoists in a police encounter in Chhattisgarh state on March 1.

The Maoist party Telangana official spokesperson, Jagan, has condemned the encounter that took place at Bottem village in south Bastar region and termed it a fake encounter. It may be noted that two naxals from Warangal district have died in the encounter and their last rites were performed here on Friday.

In a press statement distributed to media persons during the funeral of the slain Maoists, he said the police caught unarmed Maoists, tortured and killed them cruelly. Navatha and Anitha were attending nature calls while Soni, Rami and Deve were sick and they were not in a position to resist when they were killed by police, he said.

The Central and State governments led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao respectively, have launched ‘Operation Red Hunt’ as part of third phase of ‘Operation Green Hunt’ to eliminate the Maoists.

The governments were killing the arrested Maoists without showing their arrest. “Women naxals were sexually abused after they were arrested,” Jagan alleged and called upon the intellectuals, common public to fight against their atrocities. People would teach a lesson to them, he added.

Before coming to power, Chandrashekar Rao said there would be no encounters in separate Telangana, but he was continuing the ‘Operation Green Hunt’ to eliminate naxals. With several TDP and Congress leaders joining his party, the CM is of the opinion that nobody could defy him, the Maoist leader said. He accused the CM of continuing the legacy of Kakatiya rulers in being feudalistic and autocratic and adopting anti-democratic, neo-Nizam and Fascist means in his rule. The State and Central governments are supporting capitalists in exploiting natural resources at the cost the poor, Jagan added.

Meanwhile, the last rites of Navatha alias Srujana of Paidipalli in Warangal and Lachhanna of Bapatla of Guntur district were performed at Deshaipet in Warangal in the presence of their family members.

Revolutionary poet Varavara Rao along with various Civil Rights’ activists attended the last rites. Speaking to press persons, on the occasion, he also termed the encounter fake. The Centre and State have been creating havoc in Dandakarayana in the name of ‘Operation Green Hunt’, he alleged.