The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Maoists blame police for firing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 26, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Maoists blame police for firing

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, NOV. 25. The CPI (Maoist) has disowned responsibility for the firing on a youth by its Kollapur squad at Malleswaram village in Mahabubnagar district on Wednesday and said the police was behind it.

The firing was the culmination of a police conspiracy to scuttle the peace talks between the Government and Maoists, the party organising committee member, Prakash, has said.

Prakash on Thursday said Maoists opened fire at P. Venkateswarlu under compelling circumstances in `self-defence'. Venkateswarlu and some TDP followers in the village attacked the squad with bombs at a meeting, he alleged. Maoists initially fired in the air to disperse the mob but as this did not quell the situation, they opened fire at Venkateswarlu causing him injuries, he said.

Prakash said the TDP men launched a pre-planned attack on Maoists with the police support.

The extremists had gone there to hold a public meeting to explain party activities when Venkateswarlu picked a row with them over the killing of his father, Tirupal, in November last by naxalites. Venkateswarlu's mother, Janakamma, is the TDP sarpanch of the village.

The Maoist leader alleged that some IPS officers, ill-disposed towards the peace process, had engineered the attack. It was at their behest that the police denied permission to a series of meetings proposed by the CPI (Maoist).

Committed to talks

Prakash said the CPI (Maoist) was committed to talks and strictly abided by the ceasefire agreement so far. Maoists even returned firearms snatched from the police for creating a cordial atmosphere. On the other hand, it was the police who seized Rs. 30 lakhs from Maoists when the money was being transported near Mancherial in Adilabad district last month.

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