Maoists can strike even if AP is not divided, says top cop

 Differing with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kirankumar Reddy’s thesis that bifurcation of the state will lead to a spurt in Maoist activity, Director-General of Police (DGP) B Prasada Rao on Monday said one cannot predict the scenario as Maoism has been rising its ugly head across the state border even when the state is united.Interacting with media here, the DGP said occasional incursions of Maoists were noted near Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha borders.

 “It can happen again even though we are in touch with the police forces in those states,” Prasada Rao said.

He also refused to subscribe to the chief minister’s argument that most of the top Maoist brass belonged to Telangana region.

“The ground reality is that Maoists are active in neighbouring states and I don’t think that they are limited to a region,” he added.

The unmanned surveillance vehicle stationed at Begumpet airport here has been helping the ground forces to track Maoist movement.

“The aircraft is under the command of CRPF but the footage relayed by the aircraft is being used by all the partner states.” the DGP said.

Agreeing that the issue of bifurcation has increased the workload of the state police, he said that so far no paramilitary forces was deployed in the Seemandhra region in anticipation of trouble during the introduction of Telangana bill in Lok Sabha.

“Not even a single bullet was fired by police and not a single agitator lost life because of police since the revival of the agitation despite of provocation,” he said.