The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has appealed to the tribal people and social activists to lend their support and make the bandh (general shutdown strike) called on July 1, a success, reports The Hindu. The Maoists called bandh in the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) area in protest against the encounter in which six of their members had been killed at Theegalametta of Koyyuru mandal (administrative sub-division) in Visakhapatnam Agency on June 16, 2021. In a letter released by Ganesh, ‘secretary’ of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), the Maoists claimed they had provided medicines and food to the tribal people during the pandemic. Maoist leader alleged that the State Government had failed in providing medical support in the Agency areas. He also alleged that COVID-19 tests were not conducted properly in the tribal region and there were no doctors to help.