The banned CPI (Maoist)'s central committee has reportedly ordered senior leader Mallojula Venugopal, 69, to immediately surrender his weapons. The committee has warned that the People's Guerrilla Army would forcibly seize them if he does not comply.
Venugopal, also known as Sonu and Bhupati, had recently expressed his readiness to lay down arms, which party leaders have dismissed as false propaganda intended to weaken the organization. They accuse him of using the idea of a ceasefire and peace negotiations as a pretext for surrender. Sources within Telangana's Special Intelligence Branch have confirmed the committee's instructions, but have stated that there is no confirmation of Venugopal's expulsion.
This dispute follows a press release dated August 15 and attributed to Maoist spokesperson Abhay, which suggested the group intended to "temporarily renounce armed struggle" and "lay down arms". The central committee and politburo have rejected this stance, asserting that it only reflects Venugopal's personal views.
The Communist Party of India (Maoist) had earlier announced a temporary suspension of its armed struggle to encourage peace talks and asked the government to declare a one-month ceasefire and halt all security operations to initiate the process. This development occurred after significant operations by central forces, which included the killing of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basavaraju. The Chhattisgarh government is currently verifying the authenticity of the purported statement which surfaced on social media. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who holds the home portfolio, stated that the best path for Maoists is to surrender and benefit from the government's rehabilitation schemes.
Traditionally, statements are issued under the alias Abhay, a role Venugopal assumed after the 2010 death of spokesperson Cherukuri Rajkumar, known as Azad. Venugopal has been underground since the late 1970s. He is considered more of a political ideologue than a field commander. He has served on the central committee for nearly 30 years and has long functioned as the party's public voice. He is the younger brother of Mallojula Koteshwar Rao, or Kishenji, a politburo member killed in an encounter in 2011 in Bengal. Both were central to Maoist leadership, with Venugopal credited for expanding the party's influence in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. Reports in May 2025 suggested Venugopal was preparing to surrender and reunite with his wife Tarakka, who earlier surrendered to Maharashtra police.
