Surrendered Maoists seek political space, urge lifting of CPI (Maoist) ban
HYDERABAD: Several senior Maoists who surrendered to the Telangana police in recent months are seeking to enter mainstream politics and want the ban on the Communist Party of India (Maoist) lifted, sources said, as reported by TOI.
Former Central Committee member Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devji and other surrendered Maoists urged Telangana director general of police CV Anand to allow them to engage in legally permissible political activities.
They made the request during a closed-door meeting with the DGP on August 10. They also reiterated their demand to lift the ban on the CPI (Maoist). “We want the police to give us an opportunity to participate in legally permissible activities, without any hurdles,” Devji told the Media.
The surrendered Maoists currently remain focused on their private lives and away from political activity, sources said. They have also kept themselves separate from other factions of surrendered Naxals. “Once the armed struggle is over, the name CPI (Maoist) also becomes irrelevant,” Devji said.
Police advise former cadres to join mainstream politics gradually
Raji Reddy, Chandranna and Damodar, who surrendered after Operation Kagar, also attended the meeting.
Senior Telangana police officials said the former Maoists remain under surveillance and do not have unrestricted freedom of movement. The government wants them to eventually join mainstream politics, but officials have advised them not to rush into it.
“We have also asked them to refrain from visiting the families of Maoists who were killed or attending events such as anniversaries related to the deceased Maoists, as these could send the wrong signal,” a senior police official told the Media.
The police are helping the surrendered cadres with healthcare and skills training to improve their employment prospects, the official said.
“We cannot help those seeking the lifting of the ban on the Maoist party, as only the Centre can take a decision on that,” the official added.
Former leader Jampanna backs new political outfit if ban stays
Ginugu Narsimha Reddy alias Jampanna, a former Central Committee member who surrendered in December 2017, said lifting the ban could prove difficult.
“I feel the surrendered Maoists who want to enter mainstream politics have no other choice but to start a new outfit with a new name and agenda. How many of the previous cadres will support the new outfit and what form it will take, only time will tell,” he said.
Another key demand raised during the meeting was the release of 40 jailed Maoists, including a Politburo member and several state committee leaders.
Those named included Central Committee member Sanjeev Deepak Rao and state committee members Dongari Gangadhar Rao, Shiva Reddy and Sri Vidhya.
Devji also sought the release of Gade Innaiah, whom the National Investigation Agency arrested in December 2025 for allegedly making statements supporting the Maoist party.
Some surrendered Maoists also alleged that local political leaders in parts of Telangana were demanding a 10% cut from government-sanctioned surrender rewards.
