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An activist of the People's War was killed in an encounter even as special police parties launched combing operations against a 20-member armed group of the outlawed outfit in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
The latest encounter -- the second one in three days -- seemed to be fouling up the atmosphere and putting the next round of talks between the People's War and the Andhra Pradesh government in jeopardy.
Addressing a media conference in Hyderabad on Thursday evening, Director General of Police Pervaram Ramulu said, "During the last three days there have been skirmishes with the People's War. They have been firing on our men. Right now, an exchange of fire is going on in Warangal district."
The DGP said at around 1000 hours, a group of 20 armed Naxals fired on a police party near a village under Kothaguda police station limits. The police retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for 20 minutes before the ultras fled the scene. The police later found the body of a Naxal who was identified as Sanjeev. The police also recovered a .303 rifle from the spot.
Even as the police party was camping in the area, the Naxals came back at around 1230 hours and fired on them, he said.
The DGP said that the police had recovered certain documents from the spot where four People's War Naxals, including a top functionary Padmakka, were killed in an encounter in Karimnagar district on July 2. He said one of the handwritten documents in Telugu "exposed" the PW's strategy behind their decision to have talks with the government.
The People's War was indulging in extortions on a large scale in a bid to raise money for procurement of arms. The PW was also recruiting youth and the armed squads were regrouping, he said.
The outfit wanted to build its strength in the guise of talks in the same manner that it had "misused" the freedom given to it during the tenure of former chief minister Dr Marri Channa Reddy during 1989-90, he added.
The DGP said that the documents seized from the PW showed that Padmakka had spent around Rs8.2 million in Jagtial area alone recently. The collections in this area worked out to Rs20 million. "We are yet to find the arms dump and the cash stashed away by them," he said.
According to the officer, one of the documents said, "Since uncertain political situation prevails both at the Centre and in the state, the People's War should take advantage of the 'natural conflicts'. It [the ceasefire declared by PW] gives only a temporary respite. Let the PW consolidate during this period."
Ramulu claimed that though the government had nominated two ministers and held three rounds of talks with the PW emissaries, the Naxalite group was only using the talks as a ruse.
Citing figures, the DGP said there had been as many as 82 incidents of violence involving People's War and other Naxalite groups ever since the PW declared unilateral ceasefire on February 10. These incidents included 16 murders, 17 attempt to murder cases, 21 assault cases, nine arson cases, three cases of landmine explosions and seven other incidents.
He said there were 20 encounters during the same period in which 24 Naxals were killed. The police had recovered 22 arms dumps and landmines in seven cases. In all, the police undertook operations on 57 occasions. One sub-inspector of police was killed and a deputy superintendent of police was injured in the encounters with the Naxalites.
The DGP said an erroneous impression was created that the police was against the PW-government talks. "Actually, we are all for it. There is a misunderstanding that we are against the talks. It is not so. Though we are not a party to the talks, we wholeheartedly welcome the dialogue. No policeman wants the tense atmosphere to continue. We want the talks to be fruitful. But during the talks, we cannot allow the People's War to indulge in violence."
He said that the police wanted a peaceful solution to this vexed problem "since the ultimate objective of the dialogue is to ensure that the Naxalites give up their arms". He alleged that the PW squads were blackmailing and threatening people and indulging in extortions. "In such a situation, we are taking routine policing measures. You see, there is ceasefire from their side and there is no ceasefire from our side."
Ramulu rejected the contention of PW emissaries Varavara Rao and Gadar that the police was curbing normal political activity in the rural areas. "We will certainly curtail armed political activity by anyone. Carrying weapons unauthorisedly is not political activity, it is criminal activity punishable under the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code. If they give up arms and go to the villages to preach their ideology, we won't stop them. In fact, we will give them protection from their rivals," he asserted.
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