Advani, Singhal, Togadia natural target of Maoists?

BHUBANESWAR: Branding Sangh Parivar as a 'fundamentalist' grouping, Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda has said senior BJP leader L K Advani and VHP's Ashok Singal and Pravin Togadia are "natural targets" of the Left wing extremists as they are instigating communal passion.

Panda alias Sunil, who met a group of journalists at an undisclosed place in the state yesterday, said Maoists were in search of an opportunity to eliminate the three leaders "as they are instigating communal passion in the country".

A transcript of the press conference was made available to PTI today.

"We will kill the trio whenever a chance is available," Panda who was declared as 'most wanted by Orissa Police said.

"These leaders always come to meet the people under the protection of CRPF jawans. Therefore, we could not kill them till now," Panda, who is the secretary of the state organising committee of CPI (Maoist), said.

Admitting that the Maoists had for the first time intervened in any religious dispute by killing Laxamananda Saraswati, Panda said they wanted to create a casteless society devoid of exploitation where the people would not face discrimination of any kind.

Asked whether Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was also in the hit-list of Maoists, Panda said: "No.

"It is a fact that we are angry with Patnaik for running the government in Orissa at the instruction of BJP leaders. But he is not in our target."

The Maoist leader asked Patnaik to work for the people instead of appeasing BJP leaders.