The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has called for a unilateral ceasefire and announced that they would not attack Security Forces (SFs) in Andhra Pradesh amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak across the country, reports Hindustan Times on April 6. As per the report, the Malkangiri-Koraput-Visakha Border (MKVB) division’s committee secretary of CPI-Maoist named Kailasam released a hand-written statement in Telugu to the Andhra Pradesh media that stated the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, was creating havoc across the world. “Our party, People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), an armed wing of the CPI-Maoist, and various frontal organisations of the party have decided against carrying out any kind of attack on the Security Forces during this period,” the statement said. Kailasam, however, warned that the party would be compelled to retaliate if SFs resort to any kind of action. “We demand that the government responds to our statement within five days,” Kailasam added.
Separately, the senior Maoist leader Jallandhar Reddy alias Krishna, the ‘State Zonal Committee Member’ in Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), has made a plea through a video for peace in the LWE [Left Wing Extremism]-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh-Odisha Border region, amid the COVID-19 threat, reports The Hindu on April 6. As per the report, the leader released a video that said there would be no offensive from the Maoist side, as long as the people and the government fight against the virus. He, however, said that the Maoists would not hesitate to retaliate any offensive from the Security Forces (SFs), as a self-protection measure. The Maoist leader also asked the SFs not to indulge in combing operation but instead focus on saving people from the pandemic.