The strike called on Wednesday by the outlawed CPI Maoists in protest against the killing of 34 of its cadres in a recent encounter on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, passed off amid massive security arrangements and intense vigil in the two Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
No untoward incident was reported from anywhere as the heavily-armed police, including the elite Greyhound Commandos were on high alert, specially in the remote forest areas.
The Road Transport Corporations in both the States had suspended bus service to some of the interior areas as a precautionary measure.
Security was specially tightened in the districts of Visakhapatanam and Vizianagaram bordering Odisha.
Armed policemen had put up checkposts and searched all the vehicles. The traffic to tribal or agency areas like GK Veedhi, G Madugula and Munchigapttu had completely stopped. The bus service was running only between Vizag, tourist Center Araku and Narsipatnam under police security. Bus service was suspended in the interior areas of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts since Wednesday night.
At many places Maoists had put up posters calling upon the people to make the strike successful.
Similarly in East Godavari district also the bus service from Rajahmundry to Bhadrachalam and other interior areas was stopped. All the vehicles going towards Odisha and Chhattisgarh were also being searched.
In Telangana the Director General of Police Anurag Sharma spoke to the district chiefs all the sensitive areas and directed them to be on high alert.
As part of the alert, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao returned to the capital from his farmhouse in Medak within an hour. Other Ministers, MPs, MlAs and other important leaders were also advised to remain in Hyderabad and not to venture into the interior areas without informing the police. Sources said that the step was taken on an alert from the Intelligence agencies.
Security was specially tight in Warangal and Jayashankar districts as it was the hub of Maoist violence in the 80s and 90s. Many people belonging to these areas were still active as CPI Maoists in other States and some people from Chityala Mandal were holding top positions like Central Committee membership.
In Karimnagar also the police was on high alert as the top leader of the Maoists, general secretary Muppala lakshman alias Ganapathy hails from here. Security was also heightened in Adilabad and Kumaram Bheem districts.
In a related development the Andhra police has defended its operation on the AP-Odisha border leading to the death of 34 Maoists last month.
An affidavit filed by Visakhapatanam DSP Rahul Sharma said there was nothing illegal in taking up combing operation in the area.
The affidavit was filed in response to the directions of the court in a petition filed by the AP Civil liberties committee secretary Ch Chandrasekhar alleging that the October 24 encounter was fake.
Sharma said that the police had to open fire in self defence as the Maoists had fired at them.
Division bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice A Shankar Narayan posted the further hearing of the case to November 8 as the counsel for petitioner sought time to file their counter to the affidavit.