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Maoists deny role in VHP leader’s murder

BERHAMPUR: Mystery behind the gruesome murder of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his four associates has deepened. The Bajrang Dal and VHP activists as well sections of the media have received a suspected Maoists’ letter where they claim that their central committee had no role in the murder.

The letter claimed that some wayward cadre of the Maoist outfit were lured by nefarious elements to commit the crime. Meanwhile naxal sympathizers of Orissa have also claimed that Maoists had no hand in the murder of the VHP activists at Jalaspata in Kandhamal district.

A copy of the letter was sent to the State joint secretary of the VHP and the State joint coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, Ramakant Rath. The letter was claimed to be written by the Kotgarh unit of the CPI-Maoist party.

As per the letter the organization would initiate action against some of their cadres in Kandhamal district who could be hired for money by communal Christian miscreants for the murder of the VHP leader and his associates. The reason for the murder was their opposition to religious conversion by missionaries and recent clash over cow slaughter in Tumudibadh area. "The State central committee of the Maoists had no knowledge of this", the letter claimed. The naxals felt police were putting the blame of murder of VHP leader on them trying to detach them from the common mass.

Many Maoist sympathizers of south Orissa have also denied the role of CPI-Maoist in the murder of VHP leaders that sparked off communal violence in Kandhamnal district.

Through a press note Dandapani Mohanty, general secretary of the Orissa Forest Mazdoor Union said Maoists had no role in the communal murders in Kandhamal district. It may be noted that Mr Mohanty earlier headed the Daman Pratirodh Manch, which was banned by the State Government for its pro-naxal activities. The case filed by against the ban order is sub judice in the Orissa High Court.

It may be noted that the State unit of the BJP is also not buying the claim of the State Government that Maoists had murdered the VHP leader.

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