Maoists ideologue Varavara Rao slams Bengal govt

Maoists ideologue Varavara Rao today criticised the West Bengal government for arresting a doctor who had once treated slain Maoist leader Kishanji.
"Of course it is fascism. He was only a doctor, why should he be arrested?" Rao told reporters here on the sidelines of a conference by the committee for release of political prisoners.
Police had on Wednesday arrested Samir Biswas, a retired doctor of Eastern Coalfields Limited from Asansol for allegedly having contacts with left wing extremists and for treating Kishanji, the top Maoist leader who was killed by joint forces in November 2011.
Rao said the state government has gone back on its commitment to release political prisoners.

"After the Left Front went away, people had hopes on the issue, but now nobody wants to hear the voices of dissent in West Bengal," he said, claiming that thousands of adivasis are in jail in Odisha, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
"They even do not know what charges have been made against them. They don't have lawyers also," Rao said.
Rights activist Sujato Bhadra said there are around 250-300 political prisoners in West Bengal.