The Maoists holding ruling Biju Janata Dal Member of Legislative Assembly Jhina Hikaka hostage on Sunday extended the deadline for the fulfillment of their demands till April 18. In a message, a leader of Maoists' Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee set a new deadline of 5 pm on April 18 for the release of 29 rebels, said Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, a Koraput-based lawyer who fights cases for Maoists.
Top Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy has approached the Delhi high court challenging the trial court's order allowing narco-analysis test on him.
In yet another controversial remark, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday sought to justify Maoists extorting levy from contractors who, he suggested, were indulging in corruption and looting the state.
Though Andhra Pradesh police has not confirmed the arrest of Sattanna so far, Revolutionary Writer Association founder Varavara Rao alleged that the Maoist leader was taken into custody by a special police party from Angamaly in Ernakulam district in Kerala on a specific tip-off.
According to an Andhra government statement, Naidu 'reposed confidence' in the PM's leadership.
The Maoists on Friday demanded an independent probe into the circumstances leading to the death of their top leader Kishenji in West Midnapore district.
"It is wrong to link us with the Indian Maoist movement, he said. There is no involvement (of Nepalese Maoists) in the Indian Maoists' movement," the party's senior leader, Baburam Bhattarai, told media-persons.
Aravindan Balakrishnan , 75, is accused of raping and indecently assaulting two women members of the group.
The BJD's candidate selection was based on several permutation and combination, a party leader said adding that apart from being a green horn and a woman, Barsha will get sympathy vote.
The banned Communist Party of India - Maoist has threatened to kill Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar if two of their top leaders were not released from prison immediately, official sources said on Friday. 'Dabloo', a naxalite leader, in a sms to a reporter of a private TV channel, claimed that the Maoists planned to kill the chief minister, State Home Department Principal Secretary Amir Subhani said. The message demanded the release of Naxal leaders 'Raviji' and Diren Singh.
The Congress leader also said that the BJP wants to change the Constitution, and reduce and weaken the rights given to the people through the statute book.
With the arrest of key leader of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, Andhra Pradesh police have busted a big conspiracy to carry out attack on a senior political figure or police official in Mehbubnagar district bordering Karnataka.
Campaigning ended on Wednesday evening for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) making a last-gasp effort to woo voters.
Maoists have indicated that they have not backed out of the talks with the government, but asked mediator Swami Agnivesh not to contact them through their channels alleging that the police was tracking their leaders through the letters sent by him.
A day after Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said Maoists had plans to overthrow the Indian state by 2050, top Naxal leader Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji on Saturday claimed it would be achieved much before that date.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh said that no dialogue should be held with the outlawed Maoists who carried out a deadly attack recently in Chhattisgarh against Congress party leaders.
In a major breakthrough, Odisha Police have arrested two suspected Maoists who were accused of being involved in the May 25 deadly attack on a Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh.
Kabir Kala Manch activists had allegedly made provocative speeches leading to violence at Koregaon Bhima in the district, according to an FIR registered at Vishrambaug police station after the event.
The Bharatiya Janata Party charged the Congress with attempting to politicise the Maoist attack at Baster in Chhattisgarh that claimed 27 lives, saying it is 'very unfortunate'.
Anti-Naxal operations will be intensified in the aftermath of the Maoist attack on Congress leaders, the government said on Tuesday but ruled out holding peace talks with the extremists unless they abjure violence.
The Trinamool Congress on Friday termed Communist Party of India - Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury as the country's 'number one Maoist' and alleged that he has close links with the Maoists in Nepal. "Sitaram Yechury is the man who supports the Maoists and keeps going to Nepal. He should be considered as the number one Maoist in India," TC chief whip in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay said, when asked to comment on Yechury's allegation that TC is fomenting violence in Bengal.
Five hardcore Maoists, whose release was sought for release of the abducted Malkangiri district collector and an engineer, on Monday moved the Orissa high court for bail after their plea for the same had been rejected by a lower court.
Heavily armed Maoists torched 32 vehicles, including tankers and containers, on the Grand Trunk Road in Gaya district on the first day of the two-day Bihar and Jharkhand bandh called by the extremists against the killing of their woman leader.
Nine people, including three women and a child, were killed on Tuesday when Maoists fired at them and set afire their vehicle near Semra forests.The Maoists had prior information that some members of the Shanti Sena -- a local resistance force formed in 2002 to combat Maoist activities -- including its leader Bhado Singh, had set out in a vehicle for Gumla town from the district's Gumra village.The ultras took away two rifles, two DBBL guns and a pistol.
Banned outfit Communist Party of India-Maoist Tuesday claimed responsibility for the massacre of Congress leaders in Bastar region and demanded immediate suspension of all operations against it across the country.
Hardcore Maoist Sriramula Srinivas alias Sudarshan, wanted in connection with several cases including the killing of former Andhra Home Minister A Madhava Reddy and carrying a reward of Rs 20 lakh on him, was arrested in Khammam district, police said on Sunday.
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Monday said that the Indian government should shun force to deal with the Maoists. Talking to mediapersons in Bhubaneswar, he said: "Indian government should shun force to deal with the Maoists. We must find solution to problems through dialogue and mutual respect...through the non-violent way."
Rejecting Mamata Banerjee's call to lay down arms before talks, elusive Maoist leader Kishenji on Monday said the Trinamool Congress chief was "welcome without the police".
Two hardcore Maoists, allegedly involved in an attack on JMM leader and former MP Sudama Marandi and killing of three policemen, were arrested from Orissa's Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday, the police said.
India has planned to invite leaders from across the spectrum, including Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai, foreign minister Sujata Koirala, former army chief Rookmangud Katawal, as well as Maoist military commander Barshaman Pun 'Ananta', to sit around the same conference table in New Delhi this week.
A lack of understanding on how to tackle the Maoist challenge is adversely affecting security operations on the ground and not the inefficiency or inability of the security forces to put pressure on the Maoists, says former Chhattisgarh top cop Vishwa Ranjan.
Hours after the deadly Naxal attack left 73 CRPF personnel dead in Chhattisgarh, Maoists on Tuesday claimed for the first time that their top leader Kishenji was alive and well.
Maoists on Sunday demanded release of eight of their jailed leaders in Chattisgarh and a halt to "Operation Green Hunt" in exchange for freedom of Sukma collector Alex Paul Menon, who was safe, a day afer he was abducted. The Maoists also set an April 25 deadline.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam chief J. Jayalalithaa on Monday said the Centre should "go all out to eradicate" the Maoists.
