Gaya: Jan Adhikar Party patron and Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav on Monday launched "Magadh ki aazaadi" campaign to highlight alleged police atrocities on innocent people in the name of anti-Naxalite fight.

The MP handed over a cheque of Rs 25,000 each to 37 people whose family members, he claimed, were subjected to atrocities by the police and criminals in the name of Naxalism. "I have provided financial help to the people so that they can start their own source of livelihood. In the beginning, I have launched the campaign from three blocks of Gaya district, including Imamganj, Dumaria and Bankebazar. Later it will be extended to Sherghati and neighbouring Aurangabad district," said Pappu.

He was addressing a public meeting at the Gandhi Maidan in Imamganj, 65km south of Gaya district headquarters and 165km south of Patna. The Naxalite problem, Pappu said, was the brainchild of political leaders and a result of administrative failure.

Calling political leaders the real terrorists, the Madhepura MP stressed that action be taken against them. "Gaya is the land of enlightenment but wrong policies have led to bloodshed in the area. Due to this, the social mechanism has failed to fight poverty, hunger, illiteracy and unemployment, and this has led Naxalism to spread," Pappu said. "The Naxalites are also a part of society and they deserve to get their rights and respect. Both the government and the opposition are playing caste politics in the name of reservation. I favour reservation for financially weak people from all castes in ratio to their population."

The party claimed it has been raising voice for the state's people in issues of public interest and public rights.

"Progress of Bihar is not possible without the development of Magadh. We have fought for the right of Magadh from streets to Parliament and also got good support of the common people," said Pappu.