Naxals call bandh in six states today

Nagpur: The Naxalites’ central regional bureau of Dandakaranya special zonal committee have called for a ‘bandh’ in six states Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Wednesday. The rebels claimed to have announced the shut down in protest of the air strikes conducted by Indian Air force in Bijapur district of Bastar region in south Chattisgarh on October 13.
The Naxalites, in a press release issued on Tuesday, lambasted prime minister Narendra Modi for his ‘Mission-2016’ meant for eliminating the rebel movement and unsettling the anti-displacement agitation in the tribal region. The Naxals claimed government aimed to hand over the natural resources of central India, including several districts of Bastar and Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, to foreign companies. They also protested the proposals of erecting army training school, helipads, airforce stations and special fortified police posts at Abhujmadh straddling Chattisgarh and Maharashtra. The Abhujmadh is considered nerve centre of the Naxal operations.
Criticizing Chattishgarh chief minister Raman Singh’s offer of dialogue, Naxals claimed the air raids on civilian locations prove that the offer was hypocritical. Naxals also highlighted that the air raids on their strongholds were conducted following the visits of current national security adviser Ajit Doval and senior security adviser K Vijay Kumar in Chhattisgarh.
Superintendent of police, Gadchiroli, Sandip Patil, said there were no pamphlets or banners traced so far in the district. “Information has been received from intelligence sources regarding the bandh but police are not taking any chances,” he said.