Koraput: Amid Maoists’ call to boycott the upcoming three-tier rural polls and close on the heels of two persons killed by the Red rebels in two districts within less than a week, the SP of Koraput Varun Guntupalli cautioned people Sunday afternoon against going near Red posters and putting their lives in risk.
“District police have got intelligence inputs about increased Maoist activities in the Red belt of Odisha with a view to create panicky and turmoil ahead of elections of Panchayati Raj bodies,” the SP said.
“Refrain from going near any Maoist poster depicting a warning or call to boycott the elections as it could be a trap laid by the ultras not only for creating untoward incidents but also disrupt polls,” the SP added.
Guntupalli appealed the local residents to immediately inform police, in case any Red poster surfaces or a suspicious activity is seen.
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“Adequate security arrangements have been put in place for smooth conduct of polling exercise in Kotia region hit by ongoing border row between Odisha and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh,” the SP stated.
SP Guntupalli also chaired a preparatory meeting with several other police officials from the district Sunday for the election exercise.
It is pertinent to mention, in a spree, a faction of the outlawed CPI (M) had recently put up Red posters in Kandhamal district, Saturday.
“The ultras went a step further this time and put up banners and posters inside Radhigumma government high school premises under Kotagad police limits in the district. As the three-tier rural polls are getting nearer, the ultras seem to have intensified their violence in a bid to disrupt the democratic process,” a senior official stated.
Apart from Kandhamal district, the faction of outlawed CPI have also put up posters in Bhawanipur and Laxmipur villages of Kalahandi with an intention to warn locals to boycott elections, the official added.
A local youth named Priyaranjan Kanhar was recently killed as a landmine laid by the Maoists blasted Wednesday near Sadingia-Kiamunda area under Phiringia police limits of Kandhamal district.
Similarly, a reporter of leading vernacular daily ‘Dharitri’ named Rohit Kumar Biswal was killed February 5 due to a massive explosion near Karlakhunta bridge in Mohangiri area under Madanpur-Rampur police limits of Kalahandi. The scribe unknowingly went closer to the site, where high-intensity IED was planted, to cover news about the faction of ultra’s warning locals to boycott upcoming three-tier rural polls.
Besides, the Inspector General of Police (southern range) Satyabrata Bhoi last Tuesday had assured local villagers residing in Red corridors of the state not to get panicked by the poll boycott call given by ultras.
Left-wing extremists usually increase their activities during elections and resort to violent measures and target the police by planting IEDs meant to break the confidence of public from taking part in the polls.
Koraput district will go to polls in five phases starting from February 16. As per police sources, around 600 booths out of a total of 2,973 in the district have been identified as ‘sensitive’. In order to keep a strict vigil on any untoward development, a constable will be deployed at each of the sensitive booths.
PNN
