The slain Maoist leader Mallojula Koteswara ao alias Kishenji, who was shot dead by the security forces in an encounter in West Bengal, was cremated yesterday at his native town Peddapalli in Andhra Pradesh. His last rites were attended by thousands of villagers and Maoist sympathizers. The Congress, TDP and TRS leaders from Telangana region also paid their last respects to Kishenji.

Kishenji's body was brought to Hyderabad from Kolkata on Saturday evening was directly taken to Peddapalli under tight security. The top Maoist was laid to rest at Peddapalli Avusalabavi burial ground where his brother Anjaneyulu performed the last rites. Congress Lok Sabha MP G Vivek, CPI assembly floor leader Gunda Mallesh, balladeer Gaddar, Arunodaya Vimalakka, TDP MLAs Dhanasari Ansuya, Vijayaramana Rao, TRS assembly floor leader Etela Rajender, MLA Koppula Eshwar, MLC N Laxman Rao were among those who paid tributes to Kishenji.

Maoist sympathizer and revolutionary writer P Varavara Rao read out the statement of the central committee before the cremation. Raising the pitch to suspend Operation Green Hunt, Rao dubbed Kishenji's encounter killing as 'political murder'. The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has called for two-day 'Bharat bandh' on December 4-5 to protest Kishenji's encounter in West Bengal jungles. The Maoist party apex decision making body, central committee, has also called for a 'protest week' from Tuesday. Meanwhile, balladeer and Naxal sympathiser Gaddar on Sunday demanded that the movement for separate Telangana state be intensified, as a homage to Kishenji. To 'fulfill Kishenji's wish', the Telangana leaders must take the T movement to its peak and get the separate state, he said.