Bhubaneswar: The people who raise their voice against the socially backward and exploited mass are being subjected to conspiracy and put behind the bars. Though emergency has not been declared in the country, there is a severe state of undeclared emergency prevailing in the country, top Maoist leader Umakant said.

Umakant, the secretary of Bansadhara-Ghumusara-Nagavali Division, in an exclusive interview to OTV claimed “Today professors, intellectuals, human rights and law activists, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) General Secretary Sudha Bharadwaj and other such people have been portrayed as urban Maoist by the Centre and are being pushed into jails.”

Elaborating on the current state of Maoist movement in Odisha, the Maoist leader said “While both the centre and state government of Odisha is highlighting cut-down in Maoist activities, the CPI (Maoist) party is rather strengthening its roots in Odisha.”

“The Maoist movement received a major setback in Odisha after the dismissal of Sabyasachi Panda from the party in 2012. If we compare the then situation with the current scenario, our party is better positioned now. If police was not enough, Special Task Force, SUG and COBRA have been introduced to stop our activities. But all of these will not help,” he said.

Umakant further added that the red ultras will continue their crusade as long as poverty, exploitation, and farmers’ suicide continues in the country.

However, ruling out the increase in Maoist activities, BJP spokesperson Lekhashree Samantsinghar, said “Since the beginning of the Modi government’s tenure, there has been major crackdown on Maoists. The supply of foreign funds to the extremists has also been curtailed, which has helped in controlling their activities.”

Similarly, commenting about the Maoist situation in the state, Former DGP, Bipin Bihari Mishra, said, “A few people are getting attracted to the Maoist camps and those existing are also getting demotivated. Top Maoist leaders generally make such statements to create fear and motivate their cadre.”