Maoists warn tribals against participating in panchayat poll

Ahead of the process of filing nomination papers for the three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha, the Maoists have warned the tribals of Malkangiri district to abstain from the poll.
The police has seized hand-written Maoist posters in Kudumulugumma here in which the Malkangiri District Divisional Committee of Maoists has asked people not to take part in the upcoming polls or become candidates.
The public have been threatened to be punished at the Praja Court if they dare to take part in the poll process. Even the voters have been threatned that their thumbs would be chopped if they dare to go for voting.

Malkangiri Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Rahul Dev, however, said: "There is nothing new in the threat. The maoists used to give such kind of threat before each election. The police is prepared to foil their attempt of disrupting the polls.