Naxals trying to set up cells in south India: AP police chief

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Police chief on Wednesday said Naxals are trying to spread their tentacles in southern states and called for preventive steps to check their activities.

"Naxals are trying to spread all over (the country). We have evidence that these people (Maoists) are trying to set up their cells even in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

"We would like to sensitise the police of neighbouring states on the lurking danger so that they can have a proper action in place," DGP R R Girish Kumar said in Hyderabad.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference of DGPs of southern states that got underway here, he stressed on the need for undertaking preventive steps to check the spread of the Left-wing extremism in south India.

"We will discuss what measures need to be taken to contain this problem before it becomes endemic like in other states," Kumar said, adding "appropriate measures should be taken at the initial stage itself."

While Andhra Pradesh has contained Left-wing extremist movement to a great extent, the recent arrest of some key CPI (Maoists) cadres in Karnataka has indicated spread of Maoist activities in southern states, Kumar said.

A joint operation last November and June this year by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh police led to the arrest of these cadres, who had planned to carry out operations to eliminate top police officials in Andhra Pradesh, he said.