India - Maoists block Sironcha-Gadchiroli Road

Traffic was disrupted after Naxalites, who are observing two days Bandh in region they call Dandakaranya, blocked the Sironcha-Gadchiroli road for several hours on Thursday. The rebels also put up several banners across the district appealing to make their ‘anti-displacement’ agitation stronger against the corporate giants who want to carry out mining and other activities in the district.

The Naxals claimed in a statement that their attack on former MLA Deepak Atram’s bodyguard was to loot his firearms and had nothing to do with ideology of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar as projected by police against them. The Naxals had gunned down Atram’s police guard before fleeing with his assault rifle on the day of Ambedkar jayanti.