As Orissa is approaching its second and final phase polling on April 23, taking Kandhamal violence as a major poll plank, the state police have arrested a Maoist commander who had allegedly plotted the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Laxmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal district last year.
Udaya alias P. Rama Rao, one of the masterminds in the killing of Laxmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal was arrested along with three of his associates from Gudari area of Rayagada district. All belong to the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), District Superintendent of Police A.K. Singh told IANS.
According to police, “Udaya is third in command of the Maoist group operating in Orissa. He was involved in over 20 heinous crimes including murder, rioting, looting of government armouries,” the official said.
Udaya (45) was also allegedly involved in the Maoist attack at Nayagarh town on Feb 14 last year. Over a dozen policemen were killed by about a 500 armed rebels who attacked several police stations, a police training centre and even looted weapons from a government armoury.
As far as the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati is concerned, it has though been blamed to some Christian organisation by right wing Hindus, the state government has been maintaining its stand that the incident was a handiwork of Maoist who wanted to create communal tension.
The state witnessed widespread communal violence after the murder of Swami, which left at least 38 people – most of them Christians – dead and thousands homeless. Many are still living in government relief camps.
As the state is holding a two-phase election for both Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies simultaneously, Kandhamal has been a major issue for all the political parties, including the recently breakaway BJP and BJD to gain the most out of it. Orissa BJP banks mostly on communal polarisation, as was evident from the speech of one of its candidate Ashok Sahu.
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