Rattled by the killing of its top leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad, the banned CPI (Maoist) on Sunday called for a two-day strike from July 7 and vowed to avenge his death, prompting authorities to beef up security in Naxal-hit areas.
The body of Azad, a senior member of the CPI (Maoist) central committee who was killed in an encounter in Adilabad district on Friday, was on Sunday cremated at Punjagutta crematorium in Hyderabad in the presence of his family members and a large number of people including Maoist sympathisers and revolutionary poets — Varavara Rao and Kalyan Rao. In a statement, the the CPI (Maoist) alleged that Azad was “murdered” by intelligence agencies of the Centre and Andhra Pradesh government.
Hailing Azad, who was the Maoist spokesman, it said he has become the “mind and soul of Indian revolution through his consistent and efficient work” and vowed to avenge his death.
Apprehending Maoist backlash, authorities in Chhattisgarh, which has been facing the brunt of Maoist violence, have sounded an alert in the state.
Police have been asked to tighten vigil as the Maoists may carry out a major strike in retaliation against the killing of Azad, top officials said in Raipur. Nearly 200 people, including security personnel have died in Naxal attacks in Chhattisgarh in the last three months.
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Big Maoist attack is averted
Rabindra Nath
Choudhury
Raipur
A CRPF contingent on Sunday escaped a major Maoist attack when they timely detected an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing about 20 kg, planted on the road at Chingawara in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, before it was triggered by the ultras, police said.
The incident took place, when a 20-member CRPF team was conducting road opening exercise in the area. The jawans became alert, when they noticed suspicious movement of a group of people at a nearby bush. The troopers then spotted a wire on the roadside that led them to IED planted on the road, police said.