Superintendent of Police, Visakhapatnam district, B. Krishna Rao, questioned why were the Maoists silent on the death of two tribal persons from Chintalaveedhi village. The two persons died when they stepped on a landmine allegedly planted by Maoists in Jamiguda panchayat of Pedabayalu mandal in Visakhapatnam district on August 2.

In a note released on Friday, the SP said that the Maoists, especially East Division Committee, normally react to all issues through audio clips and letters, but in this case they have not responded yet. He said that the Maoists have been placing landmines on roads which have been causing the death of tribals. He said that the victims of such landmine blasts, include youth, children, elderly persons and cattle. “Who will take the responsibility of these persons. The Maoists will not allow to lay roads and when the government lay roads, they place landmines,” he said.

He also said ever since the COVID-19 cases started to rise, the police have been in the forefront in providing all necessary help to the tribal persons. He said that police have been supplying essential commodities, sanitisers, masks and other essentials to the people, but the Maoists who claim to be living for the public failed to help tribals. Instead, the Maoists have been taking away the essentials for Maoist Martyrs Week and other reasons, the SP said.

Mr. Krishna Rao said that recently the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) appealed for peace in the LWE-affected areas in Andhra-Odisha Border region, amid the COVID-19 threat.

“Such announcement was not given in any Maoist area across the country, but only in AOBSZC. This proves that by making such appeal, the Maoists utilised the time to plant mines and explosives targeting police. Unfortunately, tribal persons were killed in the accident,” he said.