Maoists warn more attacks in Jharkhand, demand release of their leaders India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Maoist rebels active in Jharkhand on Saturday threatened to carry out more attacks on Government establishments, politicians and security forces if their top leaders, presently under detention were not released. The Maoists have also given a call for a 24-hour shutdown condemning the arrest of their leader Chhatradhar Mahato of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA). "They (Maoist leaders) have been arrested on false charges. Hence, we had called for a shutdown. We will attack police forces, Congress leaders and other members would be attacked. These arrests would not bring peace, instead these would lead to revolution in which lots of people would be killed," said Abhay, Area Commander of Communist Party of India (Maoist). Mahato was the spearhead of the Maoist agitation in West Bengal's Lalgarh district. He was in limelight when the paramilitary forces and the State police had launched the anti-Maoist operations at Lalgarh. The place was declared as a liberated zone by the Maoists on June 19, forcing him to go underground for some time. Maoists have also condemned the arrest of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) politburo member Kobad Ghandy, who was earlier arrested in the national capital. He was instrumental in shaping up the organization's ideology. Meanwhile, fearing attacks on the highways, many truck drivers have halted their vehicles on the way and are waiting for the Maoists to call off the shutdown. "The problem is that we do not have food to eat nor we have a safe place to park our vehicles. We do not want to go ahead as there are chances of Maoists killing us and also our vehicle can be attacked, damaged and burnt," said Mahinder Sharma, a truck driver from Rajasthan.