Government assures Jharkhand voters of safety during polls
November 9th, 2009 - 8:16 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) The home ministry Monday asked voters in Jharkhand not to get cowed down by threats of violence by Maoist rebels during the upcoming state assembly elections and assured them that all arrangements were on to ensure a peaceful poll.
The ministry asked voters to disregard statements of Communist Party of India-Maoist leaders, Mallojulla Koteswar Rao alias Kishenji and Samar Jee alias Anmol, stating that the rebels would “target” the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and “punish” those who participate in the five-phased election.
“These threats are of a piece with the threats held out in Jharkhand during the parliament elections in May 2009. Nevertheless, over 57 percent of the electorate voted in the elections, in a strong rebuff to the Maoists,” the ministry said in a statement.
Referring to a recent article in the Economic and Political Weekly, the banned outfit has said: “We think that the trend of boycott will grow stronger as the revolutionary movement grows stronger, the organs of people’s revolutionary power come into being in vast tracts of the country, the armed strength of the people grows and the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) makes impressive gains and wins decisive victories in some areas.”
The ministry, referring to the statement, said: “We would like to draw attention to the above statements and to ask all those who believe in democracy and a republican form of government to ponder over the implications of these statements and threats.”
The ministry has decided to deploy over 300 companies (36,000 troopers) of para-military forces in the elections that begin Nov 25 and end Dec 18. Counting will be on Dec 23.
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- Kishenji alive and fit, reveal arrested Maoist leaders - Dec 05, 2010
- Security beefed up in Jharkhand for first phase of State Assembly polls - Nov 24, 2009
- CPI-Maoist calls shutdown to protest Kishenji killing - Nov 27, 2011
- Maoists give phone number, ask centre to call for talks - Feb 23, 2010
- Top Maoist leader Azad killed in Andhra Pradesh (Second Lead) - Jul 02, 2010
- Top Maoist leader Azad gunned down in Andhra Pradesh (Third Lead) - Jul 02, 2010
- Kishenji's death not good for country: Shibu Soren - Dec 02, 2011
- Manhunt for Kishenji in Junglemahal, five arrested - Nov 23, 2011
- Maoists abduct two police personnel, release one in Bengal (Lead) - Nov 11, 2009
- Congress MP, hundreds attend Kishenji cremation - Nov 27, 2011
- Munda urges Maoists to cooperate in panchayat polls - Nov 26, 2010
- NHRC to collect facts on Kishenji killing - Nov 28, 2011
- Maoist killed in Junglemahal - Feb 05, 2012
- Maoists call two-day strike to protest Azad's killing - Jul 04, 2010
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