Decision on proposal for peace talks with Maoists after internal Cong discussion: T'gana CM

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday said the proposal from a group of intellectuals advocating for a ceasefire and peace talks with Maoists would be discussed within the ruling Congress before the state government takes a decision.

In an informal interaction with mediapersons here, he also favoured a national level debate on 'operation Kagar' (anti-Maoist operation in Chattisgarh and other states).

Responding to BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao's criticism at a public rally on Sunday, where he claimed that the Congress government has failed on all fronts, Reddy dismissed it as an expression of anger (over loss of power).

He added that there was no substance in Rao's speech.

On KCR's comments that the Congress government has failed to answer questions posed by "children" (an apparent reference to his son and BRS Working President K T Rama Rao) in the Assembly, Reddy wondered why the "children" are sent to assembly while KCR stayed away.

The CM indicated that he plans to remain active in politics for the next 20 years.

Highlighting that his government has introduced several good schemes since taking office in December 2023, he said those schemes are now being streamlined.

He also affirmed his good relationship with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said he does not need to convince anyone about it.

Revanth Reddy's response on the Maoists issue came a day after a group of intellectuals and people's organisations met and urged him to make efforts to persuade the Centre to announce a ceasefire and agree to peace talks with the CPI (Maoists).

The CM told them that his government approached naxalism from a social perspective rather than viewing it as a law and order issue.

Revanth Reddy on Monday met senior Congress leader K Jana Reddy to discuss the request for holding peace talks with the Maoists.

In 2014, Jana Reddy had held peace talks with the Maoists as Home Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.

The request for peace talks with Maoists comes against the backdrop of intense anti-Maoist operations being carried out by security forces in Chhattisgarh and other states.

A massive operation against Naxalites, involving about 10,000 security personnel along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, continued, with the Maoists purportedly issuing a statement for the fifth day on Friday, in which they called for halting the exercise and holding "peace talks".

The Maoists had in a purported press note recently said the Centre and government of Chattisgarh (facing the menace of Naxal violence) have jointly launched an operation ‘Kagar’ against what they call a “revolutionary movement”.