Maoist leader Gandhy admitted to hospital, rebels see his arrest as a major setback

New Delhi, Sept 30 (ANI): The detention of Communist Party of India (Maoist) politburo member, Kobad Gandhy, who was admitted to the G B Pant Hospital on Wednesday after he complained of being unwell, is being seen as a major setback to the rebel outfit.

According to Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishanji, who is actively organising the CPI (Maoist) activities in Lalgarh, West Bengal, Gandhy's arrest by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police and his subsequent placement in judicial custody is a loss, but he maintains that this loss is temporary, and efforts are on to maintain the morale of the Moaist cadres.

Gandhy, who is presently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail, was brought to the hospital where his supporters demanded adequate medical treatment for him by expert doctors.

Gandhy has been instrumental in shaping up the ideological and military course of action of the CPI (Maoist). Seen as the key intellectual face of the rebel outfit for more than four decades, Gandhy, before his arrest, had outlined the political and military tasks of the politburo document in the post-election scenario.

While hailing the killing of 112 police personnel, mainly from the central paramilitary forces,by the People's Liberation uerrilla Army (PLGA) guerrillas, the statement issued by Kishanji, also describes the killing of innocent civilians as unfortunate. He particualrly mentions the killing of five polling officials in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon District and the killing of threee civilians each in West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The politburo document clearly delineates the CPI (Maoist) planned strategy to mobilise and motivate the party, the PLGA and the people to carry out tactical counter offensives and armed resistance with the objective of inflicting severe losses on their adversaries.

The CPI (Maoist) has been able to mobilise the support of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP). The campaign in his favour is led by its secretary general Amit Bhattacharya, vice-president SAR Gillani and Rona Wilson, Secretary (Public Relations).

The CRPP said that Ghandy is suffering from prostate cancer and also needs immediate treatment for his cardiac and irritable bowel syndrome.

"We want Ghandy to be shifted to a super speciality hospital as he has not been given proper medical treatment. We want a team of special doctors to take care of his health. Otherwise, his life will be thrown into danger," claimed Wilson.

Gandhy, who heads the CPI (Maoist) publication wing, was nabbed in South Delhi following inputs from intelligence agencies. He has been a part of the People's War Group (PWG) since its initial stages.

Gandhy also played an important role in fostering the development of the front's organisations. In 1994, he was allegedly active in floating a forum named the All India People's Resistance Forum.

He had gone underground after the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist), the People's War Group and the aoist Communist Centre of India in 2004 when the CPI (Maoist) came into existence. (ANI)