As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Telangana, the Bhadradri-Kothagudem police have urged Maoists who have contracted the coronavirus to surrender, so they can be admitted to hospitals. Bhadradri Kothagudem Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt said in a media statement that the police have received information that many Maoist activists and leaders had contracted the coronavirus, but were unable to receive medical help.
In a statement to the media, SP Sunil Dutt said that according to information received by the police, members of CPI (Maoist), including a few leaders in the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border areas, and the Dandakaranya special zonal committee, had contracted the coronavirus, according to Times of India. The district police also claimed that while a few party members wanted to surrender to seek medical attention, they were not being allowed to do so by senior leaders, The New Indian Express reported. SP Sunil Dutt also alleged that the top leadership of CPI (Maoist) were receiving medical attention, but the lower rung of activists and workers were suffering. He urged those who were suffering from COVID-19 to surrender, assuring medical aid.
Recently on April 20, Muttanagari Jalandar Reddy, a top CPI(Maoist) leader with Rs 20 lakh bounty on his head, surrendered in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang. Jalandhar Reddy, a member of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee and a division secretary, hailed from Telangana's Siddipet district. According to Andhra Pradesh police, Jalandar Reddy surrendered because of multiple reasons including lack of local public support, lack of recruitment from local adivasis (tribals), and disillusionment with the Maoist ideology.
Earlier in November, 33 members of CPI (Maoist) surrendered before Bhadradri Kothagudem district police. The 33 members were village committee members of the CPI (Maoist) from Battinapalli and Kishtarampadu villages of Cherla mandal, according to the district police.
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