Telangana: Revanth asks top Maoist Ganapathi to join mainstream

Hyderabad: In a major development in the state's anti-Maoist drive, 130 Maoists surrendered along with 124 firearms in Hyderabad on Saturday, prompting chief minister A Revanth Reddy to appeal to the remaining seven Maoists from Telangana, including former general secretary Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi, to lay down arms.The chief minister made the appeal during a media conference at the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad, where details of the mass surrender were announced. Of the 130 Maoists who surrendered, 125 were from Chhattisgarh, four from Telangana and one from Andhra Pradesh.
Revanth said he had raised the concerns of surrendered Maoist leaders during a recent meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi. "The home minister said that civilians will not be allowed to carry firearms and Maoists should lay down their arms. I am also of the same opinion and I appeal to the remaining seven Maoists of Telangana, including Ganapathi, to join the mainstream," the chief minister said. Revanth said the govt is willing to review cases against surrendered Maoists and, wherever possible, withdraw them. "The state govt is sympathetic towards surrendered Maoists and we want to solve their problems. It may not be possible to revoke all the cases. We will constitute a committee to review the cases," the chief minister said. Saying that the ballot is more powerful than the bullet, the chief minister said he believed in Gandhian ideals of peaceful struggle and that problems should be resolved through democratic dialogue. Congratulating the surrendered Maoists for joining the mainstream, the chief minister recalled his recent discussions with senior leaders who had earlier surrendered, and hinted at sanctioning Indiramma houses to them."I had a detailed discussion with recently surrendered central committee members, including Devji, Raji Reddy and Sujatha to understand their problems. They have asked for increase in reward amount, govt support in medical treatment and land for agriculture. Aarogya Bhadratha cards will be issued to them so that they can avail treatment at hospitals like NIMS. We can also provide Indiramma houses and support them as much as possible," he said.Among those who surrendered, 42 were members of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, 30 belonged to the Telangana state committee (TSC), 32 were part of the Dandakaranya special zonal committee, 16 were members of the second central regional command company of TSC, and 10 were staff of central committee members. Police seized 124 firearms, including 31 AK-47 rifles, 21 INSAS rifles, 20 self-loading rifles, two grenade launchers, eight grenades and 5,205 rounds of ammunition from the surrendered Maoists. As per guidelines of the ministry of home affairs, special incentives will be provided for surrendering firearms. Together, the 130 Maoists were eligible for ₹4.18 crore in rewards for surrendering with the weapons. Telangana director general of police B Shivadhar Reddy, who received special appreciation from the chief minister along with special intelligence branch inspector general B Sumathi for their role in securing the surrender of 721 Maoists since 2024, said the latest development effectively meant that the TSC has ceased to exist. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !