PTI, AMARAVATI: Breaking a long lull in their activities in Andhra Pradesh, the outlawed CPI (Maoists) Sunday shot dead a sitting MLA and a former legislator of ruling Telugu Desam Party in Araku area in Visakhapatnam district, police said.
The gunning down of Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao his predecessor Siveri Soma, both Scheduled Tribes, in Lippitiputta village triggered violence with their irate relatives and local tribals attacking two police stations, blaming the police for ‘failure’ to ensure protection to the two leaders.
Police, however, claimed the MLA and his predecessor went to the village in Dumbriguda mandal, close to the Odisha border, without prior intimation to them. State Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa condemned the killings and asked people to be more vigilant. The daring attack by Maoists came at a time when the state government and the police were considered to have gained
an upper hand over the CPI (Maoist) with no major incident involving the ultras reported in the past four-and half years.
