Naxalite Outfits Postpone March 10 Bandh

Patna: March 9, 2004

The banned outfit of People’s War Group (PWG) and Maoist Communist Center (MCC), in a joint communiqué released on Monday, announced their decision to postpone their March 10 Magadh bandh citing unspecified sudden developments.

The call for bandh was given by the two Naxalite groups following alleged attacks on prisoners at Beur Jail in Patna on March 2nd.

The two spokespersons of PWG and MCC, Prakash and Raman, in a press release, said that the strike has merely been postponed and not cancelled. A new date for Bihar bandh will be announced soon, said the two extremist leaders.

"By rushing to transfer some inmates from Beur Jail to other such facilities in Bihar, the state government is clearly trying to muzzle the voice of the prisoners", the communiqué said. "If the jail officials responsible for the last Tuesday’s lathi charge on the inmates are not removed immediately, the state should prepare to pay heavy price for it", the memo threatened.

Meanwhile, some inmates at the Beur Jail will stage a dharna on Tuesday to protest assault on them by the jail officials.