Stop harassing innocent tribals: CPI (ML) Liberation

BHUBANESWAR : The CPI (ML) Liberation has warned the State Government not to harass innocent tribals by branding them as Naxalites and then arresting them. In a statement, secretary of the Orissa State Committee of the CPI (ML) Liberation Khitish Biswal alleged that Jaga Hakika who was party’s candidate in the last Assembly elections has been arrested in connection with disturbances at Laxmipur and kept in jail. Biswal said that Trinath Saina was arrested by branding him as a Naxalite while he was on his way to attend a rally of the party in the Capital.

He was later released when the CPI (ML) Liberation threatened Statewide agitation. Even now many innocent and other people are being arrested from Sundargarh, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts on mere suspicion. He warned that unless the State Government stopped harassing people by describing them as Naxalites, there will be Statewide agitation and people will be pushed to side with the forces championing anarchy. The recent arrest of 30 Maoists from Sundargarh district was thought to be one of its most successful operations against the Naxalites.

However, after only a few days there were protests from the family members of the arrested persons and the human rights watchers that innocent persons had been branded and nabbed as Left wing extremists (LWEs). The Maoist base in the northern districts has increased in the recent past because of the hot chase from the Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand governments. Biswal has, however, demanded that all persons who have been arrested in the name of Naxalites should be released immediately. He alleged that as the State Government has failed to maintain the law and order and it is embroiled in multi-crore mining scam, innocent people are being arrested as Naxalites to divert public attention. He demanded a CBI probe into the mining scam. Orissa