Malkangiri: Protesting the death of 28 ultras in a gun battle with security forces Monday at Damagada forest under Panasput panchayat in this district, the Maoists have called a bandh in five states November 3, a report said.
Apart from Orissa, the bandh would be observed in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, a statement issued by Pratap, Central Divisional Committee (CDC) spokesperson of CPI(Maoists) said. Several posters were seen in pockets of Chhattisgarh in this regard.
Admitting that the death of cadres is a blow to the organisation, Pratap said such incidents were not new for them. Vowing to avenge the death, the CDC spokesperson appealed people to support the bandh in five states. Emergency services – drug houses and hospitals – would function as usual, he said.
Accusing the Centre, he said the ‘Make in India’ campaign launched by the Prime Minister is aimed at looting the country and handing over the wealth to multinational companies. Police in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh are killing innocent people who support the Maoist ideologies in fake encounters, Pratap alleged in the posters.
Meanwhile, some posters published by Darbha division of CPI (Maoists) protesting the Damagada encounter were also seen hanging from roadside trees.
Meanwhile, the body of another Maoist was handed over to the family Saturday. The deceased ultra was V Daniel alias Dasuram of Wakapalli village in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. Earlier, 15 bodies had been handed over to families while 12 are still in the district police headquarters, it was learnt.
A few more families from the cut off regions of Malkangiri and Andhra Pradesh would come here to identify the bodies. After Sunday’s exercise of identification, the remaining bodies would be buried, police sources said. PNN