The outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) has called for a bandh in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on November 3 in light of the encounter with security forces in Malkangiri district of Odisha on October 24, which resulted in the killing of 28 Maoists.
Characterizing the encounter as "the biggest loss" suffered by the party in 40 years of revolutionary struggle, a press note issued in the name of "Pratap", accused the police of "capturing its 11 comrades in injured condition and killing them after torture". Pratap had claimed to be the official spokesperson of the CPI (Maoist) central regional.
"Our 27 cadres were killing on the morning of October 24 in Odisha. This was the first time that the party has suffered such a big loss in its 40 years of revolutionary struggle. Many senior leaders and cadres belonging to Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana achieved martyrdom. It was a conspiracy and the security forces resorted to their old tactic of using surrendered Maoists to target party leaders," said Pratap.
He went on to add that "such conspiracies" cannot weaken his party.
"Our revolutionary struggle has come a long way despite many such attacks and even after losing thousands of comrades to the attacks by the state. Exploitation increases resentment among the revolutionary masses and the rulers, who forget this truth, will have to pay a heavy price for it," the Maoist said while adding that the encounter inflicted "big damage" to its cadre's in the AOB (Andhra-Odisha Border) area.
Narendra Modi government and state governments were also accused of conducting "aggressive mining" in tribal areas.
"The CPI (Maoist) is supporting all the struggles against it but the state and the central governments are trying to curb these struggles using the third phase of the Operation Green Hunt. The harassment has increased in Odisha and Andhra after Rajnath Singh's (Union Home Minster) visit to Vishakhapatnam and Koraput. The killing of common people in fake encounters has become a routine and October 24 encounter was a part of this series," he claimed.
The Maoist leader also vowed to avenge the October 24 encounter from the officers involved in its planning and appealed to the people of five states to make the Bandh of November 3, a success.
"But such setbacks are not new for us. We will come out of it soon and take forward our struggle," stated Pratap
Among those killed, included senior CPI (Maoist) leader Bakuri Venkata Ramana alias Ganesh alias Prasad who was cremated on 27th October at his native village Bakuru in Hukumpeta mandal in Visakha Age.
