AP Govt failed to suppress VIRASAM: Rao

Hyderabad, Mar 28 (UNI) Revolutionary Writers Association (VIRASAM) President G Kalyan Rao, who was released from jail after seven months of incarceration, today claimed the Andhra Pradesh Government failed to suppress the VIRASAM by banning it.

Mr Rao said media attempts were on to supress the movement irrespective of the party in power. The present Congress Government ''totally failed to suppress VIRASAM.'' ''Myself and Varara Rao were arrested under the Public Security Act when the government imposed a ban on CPI (Maoists) and seven of its associated organisations, including VIRASAM in August 2005.

''Later we were falsely implicated in seven other cases, including the attacks on former Prakasam District Superintendent of Police Mahesh Chandra Laddha and Chilakaluripeta Police Station in Guntur district,'' he explained.

Mr Rao was one of the three emissaries of CPI (Maoist) during the peace talks with the government. He was arrested along with his colleague Varavara Rao following the ban imposed on the Maoists.

Mr Rao said though they obtained bail, they refused to come out of the jail. ''Since government lifted the ban on VIRASAM on November 17, 2005, automatically the cases pertaining to Public Security Act should be struck down.'' ''But government has not withdrawn the cases and hence we preferred not to come out on bail.'' ''We wanted to come out only when the government withdrew the Public Security Act case,'' he explained.

Mr Rao alleged in December 2005 the government filed a charge sheet with back date in connection with the Public Security Act case.

The government delayed the process of filing charge sheet with respect to Varavara Rao. ''Now the government struck down my case.

But Varavara Rao's is pending,'' he explained.

Of the eight cases registered against him, one case under Public Security Act and other pertaining to Alakurapadu case were withdrawn. He said all the cases were slapped 'illegally' on him and sought their withdrawal.

Mr Rao said the government continued to implicate civil liberty leaders in false cases and organising fake encounters. This should stop forthwith.

Asked whether he would support government holding talks with naxals again, Mr Rao said that he will not speak about it in the present scenario.

UNI