Chikkamagaluru: People of Budakabailu village in Sringeri taluk woke up Friday morning to find posters allegedly pasted by Naxals on walls of shops, water tanks, at the bus stop and other places, advising them to boycott the taluk and zilla panchayat elections to show their opposition to the tiger project, which could lead to their eviction from forests and for better water supply and roads .
Seeing the posters, the Anti -Naxal Force and the Sringeri police swung into action to remove them and began a combing operation in the area to flush out Naxals, if any, in the region to make sure the polls on Saturday are held peacefully.
Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police Santosh Babu told reporters later that it was not clear whether the Naxals were behind the posters.
“We are investigating to see who could have put them up in Budakabailu,” he said. ANF sources were sceptical about the involvement of Naxals, claiming they were no longer a threat in Chikkamagaluru.
“We don’t see them here anymore. The have now moved to Waynad and Palakad districts of Kerala,” said an officer. A social activist of Chikkamagaluru too felt it was unlikely the Naxals had put up the posters.
“It could be the handiwork of those who fear being evicted from the forests. They may have posed as Naxals to scare the people into boycotting Saturday’s elections,” he said.
