Maoist shutdown in Andhra, Telangana is peaceful

No untoward incident was reported in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Thursday as the 24-hour shutdown called by Communist Party of India-Maoist evoked little response.

The CPI-Maoist called for the shutdown in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra to protest the killing of 30 Maoists in the Andhra-Odisha border area last week in alleged fake gun battles.

The police in the two Telugu speaking states said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere till evening.

According to Visakhapatnam (Rural) Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma, the shutdown call had no impact as buses plied as usual while shops remained open. A similar situation prevailed in Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts.

The police had stepped up security in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, bordering Odisha to tackle the shutdown.

However, an uneasy calm prevailed in tribal villages of Visakhapatnam, bordering Odisha, as additional forces were deployed to foil any possible revenge attack by the Maoists.

Some bus services between Andhra and Odisha were suspended as a precautionary measure.

The police in Andhra and Odisha, including the elite anti-Maoist Greyhounds of Andhra, continued their combing operations on the border between the two states.

The forces also used helicopters to maintain a strict vigil in the dense forest areas.

People's representatives were advised to take all security precautions. They were also asked to inform the police before visiting interior areas.

In Telangana, the police increased security in districts bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

The shutdown partially affected bus services in Khammam district bordering Chhattisgarh. However, there was no impact in other districts.

As many as 30 Maoists, including some top leaders of the organisation, were killed in a series of alleged gun battles with the police in Malkangiri district of Odisha near the Andhra-Odisha border.

--IANS

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