NEW DELHI: The Pune Police have intercepted an internal communication ofthe Maoists, which talks about the ultras planning to assassinate PrimeMinister Narendra Modi in the manner of a ‘Rajiv Gandhi-type’ incident, *TheTimes of India* newspaper reported.
The letter was allegedly found in the house of one of the five personsarrested for ‘links’ with the banned CPI (Maoist), the Pune Police told thecourt. A day earlier, the police arrested Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale,lawyer Surendra Gadling, activists Mahesh Raut and Shoma Sen and RonaWilson from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi respectively in connection with ‘ElgarParishad’ held here in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violencein the district.
All five were produced before the sessions court which remanded them inpolice custody till June 14. The lawyers of the accused said the documentscited by the prosecution were fabricated and the accused had been framed.The letter found in Rona Wilson’s house in Delhi refers to the requirementof Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifle and four lakh rounds, and also mentionsanother Rajiv Gandhi-type incident.
“We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident,”the letter says. “It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance we mightfail but we feel the party must deliberate over our proposal,” it goes onto state. The letter even mentions how this plan can be achieved.“Targeting his road shows could be an effective strategy,” it says.
The letter refers to Modi-led Hindu fascist regime is bulldozing its wayinto the lives of indigenous adivasis. “In spite of big defeats like Biharand West Bengal, Modi has established a BJP government in more than 15states,” it adds. But not everyone is convinced the letter was authentic.Sanjay Nirupam of the Congress felt the letter may have been planted.
“I am not saying this is completely untrue but It has been PM Modi’s oldtactic, since he was PM, whenever his popularity declines, news of anassassination plot it planted, he said. on the other hand, CPM’s SitaramYechury chose not to comment about the ‘truth’ behind the letter.