Hyderabad, March 14 CPI (Maoist) leader Thippiri Tirupati alias Devuji, who recently surrendered to the Telangana Police, demanded that the governments lift the ban on the outfit and recognize it as a political party, although the organization does not favor participating in electoral politics.
He also demanded the release of Maoist sympathizers who have been imprisoned across the country under the label of 'urban naxals' or others, by recognizing them as "political prisoners".
"We don't want to enter the path of elections. That path is taken if we participate in parliamentary and assembly elections. We don't want to participate in parliamentary and assembly elections," he told TV channels here.
When asked if he was in favor of starting a political party, he said the CPI (Maoist) is already a political party. He sought the lifting of the ban on the organization.
He said that many people have become "martyrs" since the Maoist agitation began in the country. He and his colleagues would like to undertake a long-term program to support the families of those "martyrs".
Talking about his and other surrendered Maoist leaders' recent meeting with Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Devuji said they sought to have the ban on Maoists lifted and the organization recognized as a legal political party.
The Maoist leaders also urged him to recommend to the Union Home Ministry to remove the ban.
Reddy had taken up the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, Devuji said he is not aware of the outcome of the meeting.
He said that the CPI (Maoist) is ready to dissolve its armed wing - People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) - if the Centre and state governments assure that they have started the process of recognizing the Maoist organization as a legal political party.
Devuji also said that the term 'urban naxal' is wrong as it has no legal definition.
When asked if he ever felt that the deaths of police personnel were wrong in Maoist-related incidents, he claimed that governments have to take responsibility for it.
He said "war" was inevitable when Maoists sought to dislodge the "system". There are losses for both Maoists and security forces.
The governments provide housing and livelihood to the families of security personnel who were martyred, he said.
When asked how he saw the transformation in society since the times of inequalities in the past to the present age of globalization, Devuji said that exploitation and looting are still going on, though in a different form.
Quoting reports of organizations like Oxfam (an NGO working to 'end discrimination'), he said that wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few.
On reasons for Naxal agitation weakening, he said, among others, there was a delay in preparing a program of action as per changes in society.
On the encounter killing of Maoist leader Hidma in Andhra Pradesh, Devuji claimed that the former was deceived by a person he trusted. Hidma was killed after being caught and tortured, he claimed.
On February 24, Devuji surrendered before the Telangana police, after over four decades of underground life.
Besides Devuji, another central committee member, Malla Raji Reddy, and two other ultras -- Bade Chokka Rao @ Jagan and Nune Narasimha Reddy @ Ganganna also laid down their arms.
Devuji is a native of Korutla town, Jagtial district in Telangana. His father, Venkata Narsaiah, was a farmer. He joined CPI (ML) People’s War in January 1982 and has mostly operated in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.