Civil Liberties Committee condemns encounter killing of Maoist leaders, demands peace talks

HYDERABAD

The Civil Liberties Committee, Telangana, has condemned the killing of CPI (Maoist) Central Committee General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju (70), and party mouthpiece ‘Jung’ Magazine editor Naveen, along with about 26 others, in an encounter in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The committee has also demanded that Operation Kagar be stopped and a ceasefire be announced by the Centre.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, CLC State President Gaddam Laxman and General Secretary N. Narayana Rao stated that they view the encounter by security forces as a ‘fake encounter’.

Slamming the Centre for its offensive on the Maoists, the duo demanded that the Centre hold peace talks with the Maoists immediately as demanded by the Maoists and others. They also demanded the removal of police and CRPF camps from forest areas and the withdrawal of security forces from Operation Kagar. Further, they stressed the need for protection of Adivasi women and honouring acts aimed at protecting the rights of Adivasis and the environment.

The civil rights leaders alleged that the Centre has unleashed atrocities against Maoists and innocent Adivasis to hand over the area to corporate companies for mining.