Civil society groups and political leaders strongly condemned what they termed as ‘fake encounters’ of Maoists by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government.
At a round table meeting organised to denounce the alleged custodial killings and encounter operations, several prominent leaders participated including Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud; MLA Kunamaneni Sambasiva Rao, MLC Kodandaram, former MLA Julakanti Rangareddy, G. Haragopal, Vimalakka among others.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Goud criticised the Centre for adopting what he described as an “elimination process” against dissenting voices. “Fake encounters must be condemned unequivocally. Leaders like Hidma, Keshav Rao and Ganapathi dedicated their lives to the cause of the common people,” he said, adding that the Congress opposes violence from both the State and insurgent groups.
Recounting his personal experiences, Mr. Goud said he was himself a victim of Naxalite-related violence. “When anyone speaks about Operation Kagar or raises concerns about state excesses, they are branded anti-national. Those who say they want to return to mainstream life are being targeted vindictively,” he alleged.
He accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of going to “extreme lengths” for political power and criticised the Central government for attempting to hand over forest and mineral wealth to corporates. The ongoing push to privatise profitable public sector institutions, he said, was part of a larger strategy to weaken democratic structures.
Mr. Goud further alleged that the BJP was using religion as a political weapon and conspiring to dismantle left-leaning ideologies and parties. “It is unfortunate that politics is being carried out in the name of God,” he remarked.
The round-table concluded with a collective call for transparency, accountability and protection of democratic dissent across the country.
Published – November 20, 2025 04:20 pm IST
