BENGALURU: A day after six Naxals surrendered to the state government, BJP leaders are expressing suspicions over the alleged police encounter in which Vikram Gowda, another Naxal, was killed. BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh questioned the Congress state government’s process surrounding the surrender of the Naxals.
In a series of posts on his X page, Santhosh said there is more than what meets the eye with the surrender of Naxals in Karnataka in the presence of CM Siddaramaiah. “The surrender happened a few days after the encounter of Vikram Gowda,” he said.
Further, Santhosh said anyone who understands the process of surrender knows that it takes months to establish contact, decide mediators, engage, convince, and then arrange for the final surrender. “Vikram Gowda was encountered in between the process,” he stated.
Santhosh also said that only top representatives in the government can answer whether internecine acrimony among Left groups led to one encounter and several surrenders. “... if that is true, the integrity of the process is questionable and the government has a lot to answer, knowing well the anarchists’ huge influence on Siddaramaiah’s Government,” he added.
Six Naxals remanded in judicial custody
Bengaluru: The six Naxals, who surrendered in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, were produced before a special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bengaluru on Thursday. Before they were taken to the court by the Chikkamagaluru police, all the six were subjected to mandatory medical examination in Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital. Of the six Naxals, four women Naxals were kept at the Mahila Santwana Kendra near Dairy Circle overnight and the men were lodged at a special cell in Madiwala. “All the six were remanded in judicial custody till January 31 and have been shifted to the Bengaluru Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara,” said the police. Latha Mundagaru of Chikkamagaluru, Sundari Kuthlur of Dakshina Kannada, Vanajakshi Balehole of Chikkamagaluru, Mareppa Aroli of Raichur, K Vasanth of Vellore in Tamil Nadu, and Jeesha of Wayanad in Kerala surrendered before the CM at his home office ‘Krishna’ on Wednesday evening. ENS