AOB Maoist Encounter: Protests Ensue Across State
Telangana was gripped in fear and hysteria as 100s of Maoists took to the streets to begin protests against the October 24 AOB Maoist encounter.
Hyderabad | 3rd November 2016
Several parts of Telangana was gripped in fear and hysteria on November 3, as 100s of Maoists took to the streets to begin protests against the October 24 AOB Maoist encounter.
Following the red alert issued to the two Telugu States on November 2, the Telangana Police, on Nov 3, rushed all ministers, including Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, back to their safe quarters and arranged for maximum security. KCR, who was headed to his farm house, had to rush back (escorted by high level security personnel).
In the rest of the State, too, security has been beefed up and constant vigilance is reportedly creating paranoia among people, especially near rural places.
Vehicular movements are being tracked along national and domestic highways in the State, with periodic physical surveillance of all passing automobiles.
On the Maoist-side, 100s of them have taken to roads, holding weapons and banners, exhorting and provoking people in tribal lands to join them. Several Girijan households have reportedly cooperated and stayed indoors as the insurgents marched. Several of the militiamen have cut down trees to create roadblocks, clogging vehicular traffic.
Hyderabad's Cherlapalli prison, which houses several inmates who have supported Maoists in the past, saw hunger strikes protesting the encounter.
Back in Andhra Pradesh, CM Naidu, his family, his Cabinet and other top ministers and officials have been given the highest possible security in the State, given that the police have perceived a threat to everyone from Ministers to the CM's son.
Following the encounter, the Malkangiri district, too, has been put on high alert, with CRPF personnel still carrying out combing ops in the area. A unit of special cops have seized mines surrounding the area in order to prevent insurgents from hiding and hoarding. Visakhapatnam and some areas in East Godavari saw felt tensions as several Maoists killed during the clean-up ops belonged to these districts.
Rumours of Maoists marching towards the makeshift capital with reinforcements are also making rounds after it was learnt that the insurgents are carrying out their own combing operations in several police strongholds.
filed in: fullhydOriginalNews, Telangana Police, G Ramakrishna, Encounters, Naxalites, Protests