Extension of ban on Maoists gets Cabinet nod

The state government on Monday ratified the decision to extend the ban on the Communist Party of India (Maoist), along with its frontal organisations, Radical Youth League Ryot Coolie Sangham, Radical Students Union, Singareni Karmika Samakhya, Viplava Karmika Samakhya, All India Revolutionary Students’ Federation by one more year.

Briefing media persons after the Cabinet meeting held at the state Secretariat on Monday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting J Geetha Reddy said that this is the sixth successive extension of the ban on the Maoists. 

The government had on August 16 decided to extend the ban and this decision, as expected, was ratified by the Cabinet without any objections today.

The ban was first imposed on August 17, 2005 through a GO Ms No 366, and was published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette.

The ban was subsequently extended in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and now in 2010.

The decision to extend the band comes after the state government reviewed the activities of the Moaists and believed that they, “continue to indulge in unlawful activities which, if not stopped, will constitute a serious danger and menace to public order, peace and tranquillity.”