Other States - Orissa

Naxals warn youth against joining police force

BERHAMPUR: Naxalites have asked tribal youths not to join the police force through audio cassettes sent to Oriya satellite channels and sections of the press.

The State Government’s plan to recruit more local tribals in the police force to counter the naxal violence seems to be the provocation. On July 20, during his visit to Malkangiri district after the landmine blast near MV-126 village in which 17 policemen were killed, Chief Cinister Naveen Patnaik declared that around 2,000 local tribal youths would be recruited in naxal-infested districts.

Through the audio tape the Maoists claimed that they had conducted the operations in Nayagarh district, Chitrakonda reservoir and MV-126 village. When contacted, Satish Gajbhiye, the SP of Malkangiri, said he had no knowledge of this audio tape.

But he claimed that till now no posters or banners of Maoists against proposed recruitment of tribal youths into police force had come up in any area of the district.

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