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NEW DELHI: CPI(Maoist) central committee (CC) member in charge of the banned outfit’s Odisha state committee, Ganesh Uike, has criticised his CC colleague Chandranna over his recent surrender before the Telangana police, and claimed that efforts to take the “Naxal movement” forward will continue notwithstanding the reverses over the last two years.Uike also disowned Chandranna’s claim that politburo member Devji had been chosen to succeed Basavraj as CPI(Maoist) general secretary. “This is a white lie since the central committee has not met even since general secretary Basavraj was neutralised. With the Central on an offensive against us, the conditions are still not conducive to hold a CC meeting,” Uike said in a statement issued on behalf of the CPI(Maoist) Odisha state committee.Stating that the “protracted people’s war” has encountered many hardships, including the current impasse, Uike claimed the party was trying to contain its losses and move forward. “The ‘party’ will continue to take the Naxal movement forward,” he stated.Chhattisgarh police officials, who are still verifying the authenticity of the Odisha state committee’s statement, said that if true, it concedes defeat and highlights the growing frustration and deep crisis/chasm within the Maoist ranks. “After the recent surrender of politburo member Sonu and CC members Rupesh and Chandranna, the Maoist leadership is shaken. To save face, it is resorting to falsehoods and hollow rhetoric about ‘continuing the revolution’. These empty words can no longer disguise the truth — that the outfit is in complete disarray, morally bankrupt and strategically cornered across all affected states,” Bastar range IGP P Sunderraj told TOI.“The Maoist leadership’s attempt to brand committed cadres who chose peace as ‘traitors’ only reveals their insecurity and helplessness. The latest statement, if authentic, exposes that Devji no longer enjoys authority even within the fragmented and weakened Maoist outfit,” he added.