HYDERABAD: Raising his fist in a ‘lal salaam' senior leader Pulluri Prasad Rao alias Chandranna on Tuesday said that the Maoist ideology could never be defeated. Soon after joining the mainstream before Telangana DGP B Shivadhar Reddy, the central committee member said that the party was divided into two factions, and the underground cadres and leaders were choosing their own paths.
The 64-year-old CPI (Maoist) leader also rejected the term "surrender".
"I want to make it clear this is not a surrender," Chandranna said. "Given the ongoing Operation Kagar, there could be significant losses...We are joining the mainstream to fight for the people, (by being) among the people," added the veteran who spent over four decades underground.
He vowed to continue following the Maoist ideology and pledged his allegiance to Devji alias Tippari Tirupati, who Chandranna said was the new general secretary of the CPI (Maoist). He said they are against Sonu alias Bhupathi.
Failing health
Speaking about his failing health, Chandranna — a key strategist within the central committee — said that it was a reason, along with sustained pressure from Operation Kagar and Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy's appeal, that prompted his decision.
"My health is deteriorating. The chief minister called us brothers and urged us to rejoin society. But I will continue the same struggle. The Marxist Leninist Communist ideology is still alive among the people," he reiterated when asked about giving up the armed fight. Talking about his future plans, Chandranna who joined the naxal movement in 1980, said, "I can't speak now. Give me 15 days — I will break my silence."
While the DGP confirmed that Chandranna and Bandi Prakash had not surrendered with arms, he said they have no confirmation on Devji's accession to the post of general secretary. "That is his claim; we have no official confirmation," said the DGP adding, "The duo has stated that their weapons were handed over to the party before leaving."
According to sources in Telangana police, key Maoist leaders including Hidma and Devji are still underground along with nine other central committee members — five of whom are from Telangana.
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Sudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times...
Read MoreSudhakar Reddy Udumula is the Editor (Investigation) at the Times of India, Hyderabad. Following the trail of migration and drought across the rustic landscape of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sudhakar reported extensively on government apathy, divisive politics, systemic gender discrimination, agrarian crisis and the will to survive great odds. His curiosity for peeking behind the curtain triumphed over the criminal agenda of many scamsters in the highest political and corporate circles, making way for breaking stories such as Panama Papers Scam, Telgi Stamp Paper Scam, and many others. His versatility in reporting extended to red corridors of left-wing extremism where the lives of security forces and the locals in Maoist-affected areas were key points of investigation. His knack for detail provided crucial evidence of involvement from overseas in terrorist bombings in Hyderabad.
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