metro india news  I hyderabad

The reported offer by the banned CPI (Maoist) seeking a 'ceasefire' with preconditions appears to be a tactical move by the rebels to save their cadres in light of the heavy casualties suffered in recent times, a senior Telangana Police official said on Thursday.

Counter-insurgency operations have intensified, particularly in Chhattisgarh, resulting in the deaths of more than 400 Maoists over the past 15 months The police official stated that they would verify the authenticity of the statement attributed to the outlawed CPI (Maoist), which was circulated on social media on Wednesday.

The statement set preconditions for a ceasefire, including halting anti-Naxal operations and stopping the establishment of new security force camps.

The banned group, which has been experiencing a decline in its ranks due to heavy casualties in frequent encounters with security forces, has called on the central and state governments to create a conducive environment for peace talks.

Dated March 28, 2025, the statement purportedly issued by Abhay, a spokesperson for the Maoists’ Central Committee, surfaced two days ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's scheduled visit to Chhattisgarh. "This may just be a tactical move, as they have suffered too many losses in operations against left-wing extremism in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. So, this could be an attempt to save their cadres," said a senior police officer.

He dismissed the ceasefire call as a mere ploy, questioning, "If they are now talking about a ceasefire, why have they been killing people in the name of informers all these years?" The police official emphasised that the Maoists have continued to target innocent people and attack police forces for years, adding, "How have they suddenly developed an interest in a ceasefire?"

Police also accused the Maoists of conspiring in the killing of two men in Mulugu district, Telangana, in November last year on suspicion of being police informers. In August, a 24-year-old female Maoist cadre was allegedly killed by her own group in Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana, after being accused of being a police informer.