Cong Focused on Rehabilitation of Maoists, Not Recovery of Weapons

Days after six prominent Maoists laid down arms in Chikkamagaluru district, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday questioned the government's approach, alleging that the "focus on rehabilitation has overshadowed efforts to recover the missing weapons".

- HT Correspondent

BENGALURU:

Of the six rebels who surrendered, four are from Karnataka — Mundagaaru Latha, Sundari, Jayanna, and Vanajakshi. The other two — Vasantha T aka Ramesh and N Jeesha — are from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively. They surrendered in the presence of Siddaramaiah at his home office, "Krishna," in Bengaluru. Latha Mundagaru, one of the key Maoist leaders, handed over her uniform to the CM along with a copy of her memorandum.

The chief minister welcomed the surrendered individuals into the mainstream by presenting them with roses and copies of the Constitution. However, the group did not surrender their weapons. Instead, they presented green uniforms, raising concerns about the possible concealment of arms.

Home minister G Parameshwara confirmed that while the Maoists surrendered, their weapons were not handed over. "The surrendered individuals have informed us that they left their weapons in the forest. Efforts are underway to locate and recover them," he said on Friday.