New Delhi, Nov. 9: The Centre today slammed Maoists for threatening to unleash violence during the forthcoming Jharkhand polls and has assured security to all voters.

“While a poll boycott call could be ignored, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) wishes to draw attention to the threat of violence held out by the CPI(Maoist). Home minister Chidambaram assures voters that they will be able to exercise their franchise freely and fearlessly,” stated a news release by the MHA.

The release specifically mentioned the threats by Mallojulla Koteswar Rao, who has threatened to target Congress and JMM. It also speaks of Samarji, alias Anmol, the secretary of south Chhotanagpur zonal committee.

“The threats are similar to those held out in Jharkhand during the Parliament elections in May 2009,” the release stated. Despite threats, over 57 per cent of the Jharkhand electorate voted that year “rebuffing” the Maoists.

“Rebels are opposed to parliamentary democracy,” the release stated, echoing what home secretary G.K. Pillai had said on Sunday. Citing from a September article of the EPW by a CPI(Maoist) spokesperson, the MHA said that the janata needed to remember that these rebels believed that there were no “virtuous people left in the parliamentary pigsty.”

“The rebels do not disguise its political goals. We think that the trend of boycott will grow stronger as the revolutionary movement grows stronger.”