After letting Naxals rest, YSR revives ban

Along with CPI (Maoists), its front organisations Rythu Coolie Sangham (RCS), Jana Natya Mandali (JNM) and Radical Student Union (RSU) have also been banned under provisions of the A P Public Security Act.

Soon after it was swept into power last year, the YSR government, ignoring the situation on the ground, rolled back anti-Naxal operations and lifted the ban to open talks in line with a pre-poll promise.

Andhra Naxals have been working in tandem with Left wing extremists in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and have connections with the Nepal Maoists.

Aiming to establish a Red corridor stretching from Nepal to Andhra Pradesh, they have acquired sophisticated weapons and expertise in use of IEDs and landmines.

With the Centre giving the green signal for reimposition of the ban, the CM held talks today with Home Minister K Jana Reddy and the DGP and Chief Secretary.

Sources said that Reddy spoke to Home Minister Shivraj Patil before clamping the ban. Though the state did not require Central nod—law and order being a state subject—the Union Home Ministry has been guiding the overall policy of combating Naxalism.

Civil rights activist K G Kannabiran said that the ban never made any difference. ‘‘While the talks were on, their activities had gone down. Now they will be out in the open again, harassing the common people,’’ he said.