INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Hyderabad: Maoist ideologue and revolutionary writer P Varavara Rao was arrested from his home in Hyderabad today for his alleged
involvement in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The arrest came after a raid at his home and the houses of his family members and friends, including a journalist, by the Pune Police. Nine
activists across the country were raided this morning by the Pune Police for alleged Maoist links; five of them have been arrested,
including Varavara Rao.Varavara Rao is likely to be shifted by the police to Pune for questioning.78-year-old Varavara Rao's name had
cropped up in a letter seized in June by the police during searches on others arrested after the Elgar Parishad event on December 31 last
year to commemorate 200 years of the Bhima Koregaon battle in 1818.The letter, written by a person identified only as "R", reportedly
mentions a plot to kill PM Modi on the lines of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
The letter also mentions the requirement for Rs 8 crore to procure a M-4 rifle - a American-made carbine rifle used by the US Army - and
four lakh rounds of ammunition to execute the plot
The letter reportedly mentions Varavara Rao's name.Varavara Rao, who heads ''Veerasam'', an association of revolutionary writers, had
strongly denied the allegations
He had said that all five arrested in the case were working for the betterment of oppressed.Academics and authors have termed the arrests as
"absolutely chilling" and "virtual declaration of emergency". "They should raid those who make up lynch mobs and murder people in broad
It tells us very clearly where India is headed
Murderers will be honoured and celebrated," said author-activist Arundhati Roy in a statement.
