Maoists call for poll boycott

More than four years after Kishenji was killed in a police encounter on November 2011, leaving the Maoists decimated in Bengal, the ultras have resurfaced.

Issuing a statement on Thursday, days before the Assembly elections, the red brigade has called for boycott of polls in Jungle Mahal, once their stronghold.

The ultras not only accused Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee of “unleashing a reign of terror”, particularly in Jungle Mahal, but also criticised the Left-Congress coalition.

The statement issued by CPM state secretary, identified as ‘Comrade Akash’, has been put up as hand-written posters in different parts of Jungle Mahal. It was also made available at one of many websites the ultras use as their forum but it was taken off by the authorities on Friday morning.

In his statement, Akash claimed that the model of development Mamata Banerjee has followed since 2011, “would not solve the real issues suffered by the people” despite a plethora of public infrastructure projects and grants on offer from the government. Hailing the “armed resistance” at Lalgarh between 2006 and 2011, Akash stated, “…people had established a system for their real liberation, though temporarily.”

“Mamata cleverly took away from people their rights over the economy and natural resources of the region that the people had achieved through years of struggle,” the statement said. The ultras also blamed the government of “perfectly implementing the low intensity conflict policy of the Centre” across the region. “Why are there hundreds of policemen in Jungle Mahal if peace has indeed been restored, as the chief minister claims? Jangalmahal, instead, has been turned into a cantonment of security forces,” the party claimed.

The Maoists further accused Mamata of coming to power piggybacking on mass movements like Singur, Nandigram and Lalgarh. “She promised to withdraw security forces, release all political prisoners and punish police officers accused of torturing people. However, she did a summersault after assuming power and implemented the policies of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government with greater intensity,” the statement said.

Taking a dig at the Left-Congress coalition, the ultras said the alliance between “the social fascist—the CPM” with “ their fundamental enemy—the Congress” has “thoroughly exposed the CPM”. The statement also had a word of caution for people against the BJP, which “is trying to fuel communal trouble in the state”.