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Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad
The outlawed People's War Group went on a rampage in different parts of Andhra Pradesh, blasting a milk chilling plant belonging to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's family in Chittoor district, a granite unit owned by Union Minister of State for Defence U V Krishnam Raju and a Tata coffee plant in Medak district late on Thursday night.
According to state police officials, besides the dramatic attack on the milk chilling plant of Heritage Foods at Piler in Chittoor district, a group of PWG Naxalites raided a processing unit of Gopikrishna Granites India Limited belonging to Union Minister Krishnam Raju at Masaipet village in Chegunta area of Medak district.
They blasted the factory with explosives.
Later, they blasted the Tata Coffee Limited's plant at Brahmanpally village near Toopran.
Subsequently, the Naxalites raided the nearby farm house of retired Air Chief Marshal D A La Fontaine in Medak district, threatened him and took away his pistol.
In another incident, they blasted the house of ex-mandal praja parishad president M Bhadraiah at Revarti village in Maddur area of Warangal district.
Meanwhile, the PWG Naxalites said the attack on Heritage dairy plant owned by the chief minister's family was in retaliation to the repression let loose by the Chandrababu Naidu regime all over the state.
In a chit left behind at the Piler milk chilling plant, which was blasted on Thursday night, the PWG accused the state government of targeting the People's Guerrilla Army of the PWG since its formation a year ago.
The PWG alleged that hundreds of cadres and sympathisers of the PWG were killed in fake encounters by the police in the last few years.
"We will further strengthen the PGA. We will empower the gram rakshana samithis to fight against fake encounters. In view of the continuing state repression, retaliatory attacks will increase. We will also take up the battle against surrendered Naxalites who are working for the police," the PWG said.
Giving more details of the incident at Piler, the police sources said that around 15 to 16 Naxalites came in a vehicle to the Heritage dairy unit on the outskirts.
They arrived from Sundupalli forest area adjoining Cuddapah district.
Six Naxalites, including a woman, came to the main gate. They asked the two sentries guarding the plant whether they possessed guns. The lathi-wielding guards were sent to the backside of the plant.
Later, the Naxalites fired six rounds in the air. Hearing the gunfire, the 40 to 50 workers in the plant came out rushing. Three Naxalites led them to the mango grove on the rear side of the plant.
Three other extremists went inside the factory, carrying the steel containers with gelatine sticks. They fixed gelatines in the refrigeration room and the main plant. They blasted the gelatine boxes. However, the gelatine in the main plant failed to ignite.
All the while, 10 Naxalites stood guard outside the factory.
Earlier Report: Naxalites blast Chandrababu's family-owned factory
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