Marthanda Rao release in sight

By Our Staff Reporter

KARIMNAGAR, OCT. 29. Mr. Marthanda Rao, close relative of the Union Minister of State for Home affairs, Mr. Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, who was abducted by CPI-ML Janashakthi group naxalites recently, is likely to be released at any time.

Relatives of Mr. Marthanda Rao said he was likely to be released tonight as family members had accepted the naxalites' demand of distributing agricultural lands to the landless poor in Korem village of Boinpally mandal.

They said mediators including the local elected representatives who held negotiations with naxalites in the forests returned in the evening. According to the mediators, the naxalites had demanded that Mr. Marthanda Rao, who is a landlord in Korem village of Boinpally mandal, should distribute his agricultural land among the landless poor.

Meanwhile, the Janashakthi district committee member, Ranadheer, in a two-page statement released to the local media in Vemulawada town, said that ``we have kidnapped Mr. Marthanda Rao, who is a contractor and landlord, demanding him to distribute his 100-acre land in Korem village to the landless poor in the village.''

Alleging that Mr. Marthanda (A1 contractor) was harassing small contractors with the influence of Mr. Vidyasagar Rao, he said they discussed the issue with the hostage and asked him to mend his ways. He dismissed reports that the Janashakti had abducted Mr. Marthanda Rao for ransom. He termed it as a rumour to defame the group which was striving for the upliftment of poor.

Our Hyderabad Special Correspondent writes: The secretary of the group, Mr. K. Rajanna, said his Karimnagar district committee would `react positively' in respect of Mr. Marthanda Rao.

Mr. Rajanna said that there was no truth in reports that the abduction was to extract a ransom as `that is not our policy.' He added that the abduction of Mr. Marthanda Rao was probably due to the policy of repression against people's movements pursued by both the State and Central Governments, the adoption of the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance and the policy of the Chandrababu Naidu Government against RTC employees who are on strike for the past 15 days.

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