The Hindu : People will revolt against naxals, says CM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

People will revolt against naxals, says CM

By Our Staff Reporter

NIZAMABAD, FEB. 14. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has said that people are closely monitoring the ruthless killings and `meaningless' violence unleashed by the banned People's War (PW) and the day is not far away when they will revolt against extremists.

The Chief Minister, who was visibly upset at the killing spree of naxalites, who had been solely targeting leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), flayed the underground outfit for waging a losing battle.

Speaking to newsmen at the Police Parade Grounds helipad after his arrival from Adilabad district on Saturday, where he addressed another public meeting in Mancherial town, he asked the people to realise how naxals were terrorising the ruling party cadres.

Referring to the killing of the Ranga Reddy district TDP official spokesman, Kishanji, in Ibrahimpatnam mandal, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, wondered as to how many more TDP cadres would fall prey to the indiscriminate killings of naxals. He said it was shocking that four armed persons barged into the house of the unarmed leader and brutally killed him even as the entire village watched in horror.

He said during his visit to Rapollu village to call on the members of the bereaved family, that the people said they were unarmed and hence could not take on the naxals. The people were fed up with naxals and the plea of the rural people was to give them arms. He said the Government was also concerned at the growing naxal violence and would take necessary steps to safeguard the interest of party leaders.

He told the cadres not to worry about naxals and work tirelessly for the TDP and ensure that it came back to power. People exuded confidence that opposition to the PW would be translated into votes. He said the people should vote for the ruling party to defeat the Congress-Telangana Rashtriya Samithi TRS) combine, which had close links with the underground outfit.

The Chief Minister said that naxals had gone to the extent of targeting him at Alipiri and it was God's grace that he escaped. He questioned what sin had the TDP leaders committed that they are being killed by naxals. The recent attack on the former Anantapur MP, Kalva Srinivas, and other TDP leaders would not serve any purpose. He said TDP men were emboldened and would not hesitate to lay down their lives for the sake of bringing back the party to power.

He said the party had decided to expose the bankruptcy of PW which had forgotten its ideology. Naxals were only trying to create confusion in the State on the eve of elections by killing ruling party leaders, he said adding that no state could afford to witness deteriorating law and order. Development would be possible only when there was perfect law and order situation, he added.

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