According to a special branch of police, the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency is under threat from Maoists operating in the region. The constituency gained prominence after Congress President Rahul Gandhi has decided to contest from the seat,
As per reports, posters asking voters to refrain from voting have emerged in various places in Kerala’s Wayanad. A letter with a similar warning had also been sent to the Wayanad Press Club. The Maoist threat has come at a time when national leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah and Sitaram Yechury are scheduled to reach Wayanad next week for their upcoming election campaigns.
The police have been asked to increase the security of the candidates campaigning along the forest borders of the constituency. Gunmen have also been deployed for the safety of the candidates following the threat.
According to the special branch report, Maoists may attempt to make use of the present situation to get national attention, reports ManoramaOnline.
The special branch of Wayanad has not mentioned threats to any specific candidate, confirmed an official from the police headquarters.
Though PP Suneer, the LDF candidate in the constituency as denied the report of any Maoist threat, NDA’s candidate Thushar Vellapally has informed the Election Commission of the same. “I have written to the Election Commission about this intelligence report from the Kerala police. They will provide the necessary security accordingly,” he told TNM.
The state government has already provided him with two gunmen and Thunderbolt commandos.
Left-wing terrorists threatening those who want to exercise their franchise to vote is not new. In Chhattisgarh, a day before the state assembly elections, Maoists had put up posters threatening the villagers to boycott elections. Naxalites wrote in their posters, “Boycott the fake Chhattisgarh assembly elections, the imperialism, the Brahmin Hindutva, the fascist beating the BJP. Stand in public court for other political parties who come to demand votes.”
