CPI demands judicial inquiry into encounter of 28 Maoists

Hyderabad: CPI on Friday demanded a judicial inquiry into the encounter in which 28 Maoists were gunned down by a joint team of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police and deplored the action as "highhanded" killings.

In the same breathe, CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy also condemned the threat issued to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his family in a letter, written purportedly by outlawed CPI(Maoist).

Reddy also hit out at RSS for allegedly labeling communists as "anti-Hindu" and said the Left parties neither support nor oppose any religion, but are pitching for secularism.

"CPI severely condemns these highhanded killings in the name of encounters. CPI demands judicial inquiry into the whole incident," a party statement quoted Reddy as saying.

While he condemned the threat to Naidu, the former Lok Sabha member said "many believe the letter is fake".

"However, targeting political leaders or individuals is condemnable," he added.

Referring to RSS' recent allegations against Left parties that they launched violence against Sangh workers in Kerala, Reddy said the CPI rejects the charges.

Instead, it accused the RSS of targeting minorities, Dalits and Communists, but is labeling Left as "anti-Hindu".

The RSS had made the allegations its Akhil Bhartiya Karyakari Madal (national executive) meeting held here earlier this week.

"First they attack minorities, Dalits and now they are targeting Communists as anti Hindu. Left is not supporting or opposing any religion. Left is for secularism in the Country," he said.

The Maoists were killed in an encounter with a joint team of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh police in an anti-naxal offensive in Odisha's Malkangiri district on the border with Andhra Pradesh on October 24.