Maoist leaders enjoying affluent lifestyles tribals being made scapegoats Telangana DGP

    (Eds: Updating with details)
    Hyderabad, Jul 18 (PTI): Appealing to Telangana tribal
people not to support Maoists, the state Director General of
PoliceM Mahendar Reddy on Saturday alleged the topleadership
of the banned organisation was leading an affluent lifestyle
while innocent tribals are being made scapegoats.
    Reddy, who held a high-level review with senior police
officials in Mulugu district, said the state police resolved
not to allow any activities of Maoists on Telangana soil.
    "Maoist Party senior leaders such as Hari Bhushan and
Damodar are leading luxurious lives while innocent tribal
people are being victimised. The Maoists are trying to re-
enter into Telangana. We will not allow their misdeeds on
Telangana soil," a police press release quoted the DGP as
saying.
    He said the police would effectively thwart the
attempts being made by the Maoists who "fled" 10 years ago, to
re-enter into the state with a plan to extort money by
threatening doctors, engineers and businessmen.
    Reddy said the Maoists were trying to create unrest in
Telangana at a time when the people of the state are happy
living as every village is now connected by roads and getting
facilities like education and health.
    The DGP warned that the department will deal a severe
blow to the Maoists who commit "murders" in the guise of
informers.
    On Friday, he said police were on alert and were
conducting massive combing operations to nab five CPI Maoists,
includinga senior member, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh,
who escapedafter an exchange of fire with police in Kumram
Bheem Asifabaddistrict on July 14 night.
    He had told reporters as many as 500 personnel
ofGreyhounds, the elite anti-naxal force of Telangana
police,Telangana State Special Police, Armed Reserve and
local policewere on the hunt for the Maoists.
    He exuded confidence that they would soon be
nabbedand appealed to people not to provide shelter to the
outlaws.
    Two groups of Maoists members, including the five
ultrasled by Bhaskar, Telangana "State Committee" member of
CPI(Maoist), armed with AK-47 assault rifle, had escaped
after anexchange of fire with police in separate incidents in
forestareas in K B Asifabad district and Bhadradri-
Kothagudemdistrict on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
    Reddy vowed to ensure that there was no Maoist
activityin Adilabad, Asifabad, Nirmal and Mancherial
districts thatconstitute the erstwhile undivided Adilabad
district.
    He said the Maoists were seeking to create terror
andtension among Adivasis and also sow seeds of suspicion at
atime when the government has taken up a lot of development
andwelfare programmes.
    Reddy warned that development and welfare
programmesundertaken by the state government, particularly
for thebenefit of the Adivasis, would be hampered if Maoists
wereallowed to re-enter the district.
    "People should cooperate with police and not provide
shelter to the Maoists and ensure they do not re-
establishbase. Development and welfare programmes will be
hampered (ifthe Maoists re-enter)," the DGP had said.
    Bhaskar, who hails from Adilabad district of
Telangana,is allegedly involved in multiple offences and has
goneunderground for nearly 30 years.
    He carries a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head
announced by the state government.
    His wife is also a Maoist, police said.
    The group had entered Telangana from bordering
Maharashtra and had been moving around in the forest areas
forthe past two months.PTI VVK GDK SS
PTI PTI

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)