Prof. Haragopal, civil rights leaders question Namballa Keshav Rao Encounter; Demand Halt To Operation Kagar
Prof Hargopal alleged Keshav Rao was not killed in encounter but was murdered by security forces. He demanded fair probe to establish the truth.
By ETV Bharat English Team May 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM IST
Hyderabad: A section of civil rights activists, political leaders, and intellectuals have raised serious concerns over the alleged fake encounter of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Namballa Keshava Rao and 27 others, claiming what is being portrayed as encounters are, in fact, cold-blooded murders.
Speaking at a press meet held at the NSS office here, renowned academic and civil rights activist Prof Haragopal alleged, “What is happening in Karregutta are not encounters… they are murders. At the Bharata Rajatotsava Sabha, attended by lakhs, the public had demanded a stop to Operation Kagar and the continuation of peace talks. Despite this, the government has carried out killings. If these are genuine encounters, then there should be a fair investigation to establish the truth.”
Call for judicial probe by Supreme Court
Prof Gaddam Laxman, State President of the Civil Rights Association, alleged that the encounter between Keshava Rao and Jung magazine editor Naveen was a fabricated story. He demanded that the Supreme Court must order a judicial inquiry into it under the Chief Justice.
Operation Kagar must end: CPI and Others
CPI State Secretary Koonamneni Sambasiva Rao condemned the Chhattisgarh encounter and called for an immediate end to Operation Kagar. CPI (ML) State Secretary Potu Ranga Rao echoed the demand and urged the Supreme Court to intervene. Representatives from the Peace Talks Coordination Committee Kavitha Srivastava, Kranthi Chaitanya, and Dr MF Gopinath too appealed to the Centre to stop the operation, initiate peace talks with Maoists, and conduct an impartial inquiry into the Narayanpur incident.
Centre must engage in talks: CPM
CPM State Secretary John Wesley strongly condemned the killings and urged the Central Government to respond positively to the Maoists’ willingness for dialogue. "The government must create an atmosphere of peace rather than escalating violence," he said.
In a counterpoint, retired DGP Aravinda Rao, who was involved in anti-Maoist operations in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, said the death of Keshav Rao is a major blow but not the end of the Maoist movement. “He was one of the early leaders who emerged from university activism. Now, most Maoist leaders are aged above 70. It remains to be seen whether there is a new generation capable of continuing the movement. However, I don’t believe Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that Maoists will be wiped out by March next year will come true. It seems politically motivated,” he told Eenadu-ETV Bharat.
Keshav Rao was among 27 Maoists killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called it a 'landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism'. The leaders present at the press meet included Jakka Balayya, John, Gaddam Lakshmaiah, Narayana Rao, Kishan Nayak, Bhavani, Rambabu, Raju Ustad and others.
