A purported letter from the banned extremist organisation, People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), has sparked concerns after it went viral on Monday. The letter claims the outfit has taken significant decisions for a national-level expansion, including the appointment of a new supremo and state chiefs.
Police Verify Viral PLFI Letter's Claims
Reacting to the widespread circulation of the document, Inspector General (Operations) Michel Raj stated that the police are aware of the letter issued in the name of PLFI. "We are verifying whether it is genuine or not," he said, highlighting the authorities' immediate response to the development.
Alleged New Leadership and Structural Changes
The letter, issued by PLFI's Jharkhand chief Amrit Horo, makes several bold assertions. It claims that a meeting was held in the dense Saranda forest of West Singhbhum on Sunday. During this gathering, Vikramjit Rao was unanimously appointed as the new party supremo.
Furthermore, the document states that state heads for Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh were elected. For Jharkhand, the letter outlines the constitution of six regional committees, mirroring past structures, and even lists the names of the appointed regional members.
PLFI's Diminished Influence and Police Action
These claims of resurgence come at a time when the PLFI's influence in Jharkhand is considered minimal. This decline is attributed to sustained police action leading to the arrest and elimination of its members. Notably, around a dozen PLFI members were arrested from Khunti district just this year.
A major blow to the organisation was the arrest of its then-supremo, Dinesh Gope, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in May 2023. Police have conducted extensive operations this year not only against PLFI but also against other Maoist splinter groups like the Trittya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC). The viral letter is being scrutinised against this backdrop of a significantly weakened organisational structure.
