Maoist violence in Bihar - to protest Obama

PATNA - Maoists in Bihar blew up a railway track and torched trucks and mobile phone towers Monday to protest against US President Barack Obama’s visit to India. Two policemen were also killed in a blast a day ahead of the fifth round of Bihar assembly elections Tuesday.

The rail track was blasted near the Kurhani railway station on the Hajipur-Muzaffarpur section of East Central Railway in Muzaffarpur, derailing 10 wagons of a goods train, police said.

In another incident, two policemen of the bomb disposal squad were killed and three others injured when an explosive planted by the Maoists at Banke Bazar in Gaya district went off, a police official said.

Maoist literature opposing Obama’s visit was found at the spot.

Additional Director General of Police P.K. Thakur said Maoists blasted a block office and set fire to four trucks in Gaya district Sunday night.

Maoists burnt four trucks near the Amas police station in Gaya and also blasted the block office at Banke Bazar.

In Orissa, the rebels Monday blew up a newly constructed school building in Malkangiri district, police said. No one was injured.

The violence in Bihar came ahead of assembly polls in 35 constituencies in drought-hit districts Tuesday. Almost a third of the constituencies are in Maoist-affected areas.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist declared it would intensify attacks to disrupt the elections and to enforce its boycott of the polls. As many as 33 of Bihar’s 38 districts are Maoist-affected.

The last round of elections will be held Nov 20. Votes will be counted Nov 24.