The Hindu : Janashakthi admits receiving its `share'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Janashakthi admits receiving its `share'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD April 29. The CPI (ML), Janashakthi today openly admitted receiving an amount of Rs. 50 lakhs from its Karimnagar District Committee after the kidnapping of Marthanda Rao but denied that the abduction had its approval.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the party spokesman, M. V. Prasad, said that though the kidnapping was wrong, there was no question of refunding the money. The leadership did not know whether the the District Committee Secretary, Ranadheer, collected Rs. 1 crores or Rs. 2 crores for the kidnapping.

Mr. Prasad attributed the rift between the State and the District Committee to organisational and disciplinary problems rather than differences over the distribution of money. Ranadheer, who surrendered along with a 45-strong Janashakthi cadre from Karimnagar, had never furnished any account of the moneys collected by the district committee.

Thus his allegation that he remitted a sum of Rs. 1.5 crores annually to the State committee was without basis. He also disclaimed that he acted as a courier between the party State secretary, K. Rajanna, and the district committee to carry money.

He, however, confessed that the party often collected money from businessmen and contractors for purchase of weapons from arms smugglers. Reiterating the Janashakthi's commitment to armed struggle, he said weapons were only a means to an objective and not an end in themselves.

Ranadheer, he said, had often boasted that if the party was unable to supply him weapons, he would take them from the enemy (police). But, he had done just the opposite by surrendering a huge cache of arms to the "enemy.'' The party had earlier expelled him on disciplinary grounds and appointed one Sagar as district secretary.

Mr. Prasad described the entire surrender drama as an affair stage-managed by the police and the TDP Government. Ranadheer himself was scared about his safety since the police had threatened to kill him after the kidnapping of Marthanda Rao if he did not surrender. Among the 46 persons who surrendered, only five or six had done so on their own. The rest were coerced by Ranadheer.

The Janashakthi spokesman said it was the party's long- standing policy that some leaders should be `legal' and others should remain underground. In tune with this policy, N. V. Krishnaiah contested and won from the Sircilla Assembly constituency.

He alleged that a surrendered naxalite, Suresh, had threatened him with dire consequences if he held a press conference today.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

1250 naxals `liberated' from records

YSR flays Naidu's remarks on Sonia

Amalapuram bypoll: MSR leaves decision to Sonia

Janashakthi admits receiving its `share'

CM non-committal on PR teachers' demands

Mystery shrouds CISF doctor's kidnap

Karnataka opens Tungabhadra dam gates