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Raipur: A top Naxal has conceded that the banned CPI (Maoist) currently is in complete disarray and leaderless. A purported press release issued by the Odisha State Committee (OSC) of the banned outfit on October 29 dismissed the reports that Devji alias Thippri Tirupathi has been appointed the general secretary of the CPI (Maoist) after the killing of the incumbent in the post Basavaraju in an encounter in Bastar in Chhattisgarh in May. The press release has exposed the serious infighting at the top echelon in the outlawed organization, a senior police officer said on Thursday. The press release, signed by one Ganesh who claimed him as the authorized representative of the OSC, said that no one has so far been appointed to the post of CPI (Maoist) general secretary after the killing of Basavaraju. The Central Committee of the organization has not met after the death of Basavaraju to appoint his successor, the press release said. The Naxal leader was referring to the claim by Chandranna alias Palluri Prasad Rao, a CC member of the outfit who has surrendered in Hyderabad recently, that Devji is chosen as the successor of slain Basavaraju. He described the claim as a false propaganda being spread by the surrendered Naxal leader. The red release conceded that the Maoist outfit is currently in complete disarray following mounting pressure on it by the security forces and the organization is passing through a very difficult time. In this situation, the CC could not meet to appoint the successor of Basavaraju, the red release said. Incidentally, another Maoist CC member Rupesh alias Satish alias Vasudev Rao who surrendered at Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar, last fortnight along with 209 other cadres, has also disclosed that no successor to Basavaraju has been appointed so far. When contacted, Bastar range inspector general of police P Sunderraj said that “We are in the process of verifying the authenticity and originality of the so-called statement issued by the Odisha State Committee of CPI (Maoist)”. “If the statement is indeed authentic, it further exposes that Devji no longer enjoys authority within the fragmented and weakened Maoist outfit. It clearly indicates that the Maoist organization has become leaderless and directionless as never before”, he added.
