Stray incidents of violence by Maoists on R-Day in Orissa

BHUBANESWAR - The Republic Day celebrations mostly passed off peacefully in Orissa Tuesday, apart from few stray incidents of violence by Maoist rebels, police said.

“The Republic Day celebration was peaceful through out the state. There is no report of violence during the celebration,” state Director general of Police Manmohan Praharaj saud.

Maoists had called a two-day state-wide shutdown and economic blockade from Monday, protesting alleged police excesses and human rights violations.

The rebels, active in more than half of the state’s 30 districts, circulated posters and banners in areas considered their strongholds, appealing people to boycott the Republic Day celebrations and observe a “black day”.

Hours before the Republic Day celebrations began, Maoist guerrillas Monday night torched vehicles and ransacked offices of a private company in Keonjhar district.

“About 30 armed Maoists torched four vehicles (trucks and excavators) and ransacked offices of a private company engaged in road construction work in Brahmanipal,” police inspector Hadibandhu Swain said.

The rebels also destroyed over 40 computers of Gayatri Construction firm, which is building a road from Brahmanipal to Keonjhar.

Rebels have torched two vehicles of a private company in Semiliguda of Koraput district Tuesday.

“Maoists torched two vehicles of a private company. In some places they had felled trees blocking roads. But the celebration was peaceful in the district,” Koraput’s Superintendent of Police Anup Sahu said.

Though there were apprehensions of untoward incidents in the state’s southern districts, there were no reports of violence there.

“Celebrations were peaceful in those districts,” Praharaj added.