The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Resumption of talks brooks no delay, says Varavara Rao

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Resumption of talks brooks no delay, says Varavara Rao

By Our Staff Reporter

KARIMNAGAR, JAN. 21. The Maoist emissary, Varavara Rao, has asked the State Government to resume the peace talks with naxalites.

Mr. Varavara Rao was here to console the families of the Sircilla encounter victims on Friday. Speaking to newsmen, he felt that the Government could end bloodshed in the rural areas by holding the second round of talks.

Mr. Varavara Rao found fault with the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, for supporting the police, who he alleged, were resorting to fake encounters. The Government should hold an enquiry into all encounters that had taken place during the last two weeks and punish the responsible police officials.

He charged that Anil, a college student, was killed in the Sircilla encounter just because he was a friend of the action team commander, Saleem, and hailed from the same village.

Probe demanded

Our Hyderabad Staff Reporter adds:

Three organisations demanded an enquiry into the Sircilla encounter and said the policemen responsible should be punished.

P.V. Rao, president, Mala Mahanadu, in a statement termed the encounter terming "police killing." He alleged that two Dalits, including an Intermediate student, were arrested by the police and shot dead. Mr. Rao wanted the policemen involved in the alleged killing suspended punished for murder under the CrPC provisions.

V. Krishna Swaroop, founder-president of the Dalit Bahujan Party, while supporting the demand for an enquiry, urged the State SC/ST Commission, the National Human Rights Commission and the National SC/ST Commission to look into the issue. He said the Government owed an explanation to people on the Sircilla incident.

Leaders of the State committees of Students' Federation of India and Democratic Youth Federation of India in a joint statement demanded a comprehensive enquiry into the killing of Anil.

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