Naxals launches anti-poll posters war, panic prevails

DHANBAD: Within days of their meeting with a joint team of senior police officers from Jharkhand and West Bengal, the Maoists pasted posters and circulated handbills warning villagers against voting in the Lok Sabha polls in over dozen villages under Govindpur block on Tuesday night.

The Jharkhand Regional Military Commission-CPIML, issued the handbills directing the villagers to boycott the polls scheduled on April 24, creating panic among locals.

Maoists also demanded release of their jailed leaders and workers and an immediate ban on 'Operation Green Hunt', check on price-rise, corruption and police atrocities on innocent villagers.

They visited villages of Tilaiya, Gurga, Birajpur Chawk, Birajpur High School, Sadhobad, Barbadih, Kharni Vidyalaya, Aasbani, Yadavpur, Kharni More near GT Road.

Though police from local police stations removed the posters early today, villagers said that they would not cast vote at the cost of life, sources said.

However, IG of police Bokaro range Lakshaman Prasad Singh said that Naxals have done this only to create panic as they have been completely wiped out from the region.

Senior police officers from Jharkhand and West Bengal held joint meeting at Maithon to counter naxal activities and the IG had made massive patrolling in Naxal-influenced Tundi block to gain confidence of voters.