MALKANGIRI: A day after DGP Abhay visited Swabhiman Anchal to take stock of the security situation in the tribal-dominated district, a poster war broke out between the Maoists and villagers in the erstwhile cut-off region on Sunday.
Hundreds of posters and banners of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoist) were found along the stretch from Jodamba to Panasput. Holding the police responsible for the January 25 clash at Janturai under Jodamba panchayat which resulted in the killing of one of their cadres Adma and critical injuries to another Jipro, the Maoists threatened death to four villagers of Janturai named Chaitan, Govinda, Mohan and Prahallad for orchestrating the attack on them at the behest of cops. These villagers would be given punishment by people and the party, the posters said.
The rebels urged the villagers of Janturai, Jodamba and Sindhibad to reconsider their support to police. The police can’t always provide security to villagers, they said. Asking villagers to refrain from having any relationship with the police, the posters warned the locals not to act as messengers of the cops and move with them.
“We assure the general public that we would not cause any harm to you and villagers of Darlabeda and Tarabeda. The CPI (Maoist) is not your enemy,” the Maoist posters read. The ultras further stated that no development has taken place in the region even after the announcement of `100 crore package by the State Government and opening of Gurupriya Bridge.
Only police camps have been set up in Swabhiman Anchal after the opening of Gurupriya Bridge. But police camps can’t ensure development in the region, the posters said and added that villagers living in camps in fear should not surrender before the police but return to their homes and resume life.
Maoist posters were also found pasted on a motorboat which reached the ghat from Swabhiman Anchal on the day.
On the other hand, various voluntary organisations have also put up posters at different places in Jodamba holding the Maoists responsible for obstruction of development works in the region.
Sources said the Maoist posters have sparked fresh panic among villagers. The situation in Swabhiman Anchal has remained tense after villagers attacked the Maoists in retaliation on January 25 night.