RAYAGADA: Even as tension following the arrest of tribals on the charge of threatening Maitree officials for entering the bauxite area of Niyamgiri in Kashipur block of Rayagada district is yet to die down, Maoist posters surfacing in the area has added to the panic among locals.
Last month, Vedanta had entrusted Maitree officials to create awareness among the tribals in its support. But the tribals reportedly denied entry to the villages. They also detained the Maitree officials and police for several hours, allegedly with the support of the Maoists.
On Thursday, a handwritten banner suspectedly by the Maoists, opposing the arrest of 21 persons of Sungar panchayat of Kashipur block, was found at Ramanakuplai Chhak under Muniguda police limits in the district.
As per the poster, the Maoists have alleged police to have picked up innocent people and mass movement leaders and torturing them.
They have also alleged the involvement of SC/ST Welfare Minister Jagannath Saraka, BJD leaders Bhaskar Rao and Sudhir Kumar Das in the police brutality and threatened them with dire consequences if those arrested are not released immediately.