Bhima-Koregaon: IB watches underground urban naxals closely

Mumbai, Jan 1: Security is at an all time high and the sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau are keeping a close watch on elements who would incite violence during the Bhima-Koregaon anniversary.

While the locals are according a warm welcome to several thousand visitors who are arriving to pay their tribute at 'jay stambh,' they also have on their back of their minds the violence that erupted last year during the 200th commemoration.

IB officials tell OneIndia that the radar on several elements is very high. We are keeping a close tab on both naxals, their city friends and those associated with them. While the security mechanism is better prepared this year, there would be some elements would look to incite violence like how they did last year. We will ensure that nothing untoward takes place, the officer also said.

The officer also added that while several activists sympathetic of the naxalites had been arrested, there are still many who are underground. They would attempt to disrupt peace, the officer also added.

The Pune police in its chargesheet filed said that some of the naxal leaders were conspiring to incite violence. They also said that the naxals were trying to mobilise and incite Dalits and the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune last December was part of this strategy.

Further the police also said that it was the naxal backed conclave that aggravated the violence at the Koregaon-Bhima last year on January 1. The over 5,000-page charge sheet named 10 persons, including activists Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhavale, all arrested on June 6.

Besides, it named five Maoist leaders believed to be underground: Dipak alias Milind Teltumbade, Kishan Da alias Prashant Bose, Prakash alias Rituparn Goswami, Deepu and Manglu.

The larger conspiracy of CPI (Maoists) was to overthrow the democratic system in the country, and the accused were working in that direction, the charge sheet claimed.
The Elgar Parishad had been organised with "inspiration, money and directions" of Maoists, it alleged.

"It is the policy of the CPI (Maoists)... to mobilise Dalit community's sentiments and mislead them and provoke them to take violent path against the system," it said.