Left parties condemn encounter of Maoists, claim Centre ignored appeals for talks

New Delhi: Left parties have come out strongly against the killing of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao and 26 others by security forces in Chhattisgarh, alleging that the government is going ahead with an “extra-judicial extermination campaign” while “ignoring repeated appeals” from the naxals for talks.

In a statement, CPI(M) Polit Bureau on Thursday “strongly” condemned the killings and said “in spite of our opposition to Maoists’ politics”, they are urging the government to “immediately accept” the naxals’ request for talks and “halt all paramilitary operations”.

The party claimed that the statements made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterating the March 31 deadline to end naxal problem and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s remarks that there is no need for talks “reflect a fascistic mindset” that appears to “celebrate the taking of human lives”. Such remarks are “against democracy”, it said.

“Ignoring repeated appeals from the Maoists for talks, the central government and the BJP-led Chhattisgarh state government have chosen not to pursue a solution through dialogue. Instead, they are following an inhuman policy of killings and annihilation,” it said.

CPI National Secretariat said it was “yet another instance of extrajudicial action carried out under the guise of counter-insurgency operations” while asking if the authorities had credible intelligence about the whereabouts of the leader, “why was a legal arrest not pursued and why was due process -- guaranteed by the Constitution -- so blatantly ignored”.

“These killings not only point to a dangerous pattern of State violence but also expose the ongoing marginalisation of Adivasi communities in the region. Time and again, these communities are caught in the crossfire of a conflict they did not initiate, and are treated as collateral in operations marked by impunity,” it said, demanding a judicial inquiry into the encounter and ‘Operation Kagar’.

“A democratic society cannot allow the State to become the judge, jury, and executioner. Justice must be served, and the dignity and rights of Adivasi lives must be upheld,” it said.

CPI(ML)L Polit Bureau called Operation Kagar an “extra-judicial extermination campaign” while alleging that the government was taking credit for “killing citizens and suppressing Adivasi protests against corporate plunder and militarisation” in the name of combating Maoism. It demanded a judicial probe into the killings and demanded an immediate end to the security operation “especially when the Maoists have declared a unilateral ceasefire”.

The All India Forward Bloc Central Committee said the “elated reaction” of the Home Minister “not only reveals an authoritarian mindset but also mocks the very principles” of justice and constitutional governance. Such statements send a “dangerous signal that state-sponsored violence is acceptable, especially when it targets marginalised communities and dissenting ideologies”, it said.

“The encounter not only undermines India’s legal framework but also erodes trust in the judiciary and democratic institutions. If the government, police, and paramilitary forces continue to operate above the law, then what future remains for judicial recourse in our country?” it added