Naxals call for bandh on march 14

source:timesofindia
HYDERABAD: Two naxal organisations, CPI (Maoist) and CPI-ML (Janasakthi), have jointly given a call to the people of Telangana to observe a bandh in protest against the Congress’ anti-Telangana stand on March 14, the day when Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to visit Hyderabad. Criticising the Congress for what they called its attempt to renew its power in the state, the naxal parties accused Sonia of betraying the same people who were responsible for her party winning the 2004 elections. "The Congress government in the state has not completed any project in the state except the international airport at Shamshabad. No irrigation project has been completed, not an acre has been brought under cultivation," the parties said in a statement issued here on Monday. Sonia will inaugurate the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on March 14 and participate in the inauguration of an irrigation project in Telangana. The two-page statement, singed by Maoist party North Telangana Special Zonal Committee secretary Chandranna and Janasakhthi party’s regional secretary Bharat, asked the people of the region not to vote for the Congress in the next elections. "The state government is handing over 60 per cent of the land in Nalgonda, Medak, Ranga Reddy and Mahabubnagar districts to the landlords of the Coastal Andhra region. These acts of the government along with construction of Potireddy Padu and Pulichintala projects are bound to destroy the Telangana region," the leaders of the two naxalite groups said in the statement. The statement was also critical of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti for portraying the resignations of its MPs, MLAs and MLCs as acts of sacrifice. "The party which has given the struggle a go by for four years now wants to win the elections by showing the resignations as sacrifice," the statement said urging the party to wage a real struggle in association with progressive elements and people of the region. Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also given a call for bandh on the same day with the similar cause. The Congress president already cancelled a public meeting in Hyderabad on March 14 as that may force her to speak on the Telangana issue.