CM terms Nallamala forest encounter as real

Hyderabad, July 24 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today brushed aside the allegations that the encounter at Nallamala forest area in Prakasham district in which CPI(Maoist) state secretary Madhav and seven naxals were killed, was fake.

Talking to newspersons here, Dr Reddy said the encounter was real and the allegations of fake encounter were false. ''If anybody still claims that it is a fake encounter they are wrong. There is no need for police to organise fake encounters. The police would act only when somebody is taking law into their hands and acts detrimental to the society,'' he clarified.

The Chief Minister said it was high time the naxals realise that they must join the mainstream.

If any group takes the law into its hands, the government cannot keep quiet. ''The government has a duty to protect the interests of the people'', he added.

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