Banners, suspected to have been put up by Maoists have surfaced in Sringeri taluk, addressing elected representatives and officials with regard to various issues, including clearance of encroachments, the controversial tiger project and granting land to the landless.
Residents of Bukkadi Bailu village, near Sringeri, on Tuesday found around 10 such banners.
The banners were put up on different structures located on the main street in the village. The residents and the police suspect it to be an act of suspected Maoists. The text on the banners end with ‘CPI (Maoist)’, giving an impression that they were put by the Maoists.
The text on the banners refers to many issues, including opposition to implementation of K. Kasturirangan committee report on the Western Ghats, and evicting farmers in the name of clearing encroachments. The banners also urge the elected representatives to take a decision to fight for grant of land to the landless. In one banner, the Deputy Commissioner has been appealed to clear the waste dumped in Thyavani forest area.
Chikkamagaluru police and Anti-Naxal Force personnel also visited the place and collected details. Earlier this year, a few posters appealing the public to boycott zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections, suspected to be put up by Maoists, were traced in the locality.
The tone and tenor of the banners, allegedly put up by CPI (Maoist), are very different and conciliatory compared with the previous banners put up by them.
T. Sunil Kumar, Additional Director-General of Police (Internal Security Division)
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These banners do not look like the ones put up by CPI (Maoist) activists.
Gowri Lankesh, journalist and member of the State-level committee for overseeing rehabilitation policy for Left-wing extremists
