The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) have claimed responsibility for the May 1 blast, set off by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), in Kurkheda Tehsil (revenue unit) in Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra that had killed 15 Security Force (SF) personnel and their driver, reports The Indian Express on May 18. A pamphlet, issued by western sub-zonal bureau of CPI-Maoist recently, claimed that the blast was carried out to avenge the “police atrocities” in last year’s Kasnasur ambush in which 40 Maoist cadres were killed in the incident. It also referred to the April 27 “fake” encounter of senior Maoist cadre Ramco Narote. Narote, a member of Gadchiroli’s divisional committee of CPI-Maoist, and her accomplice Shilpa Durva were killed in what the Police claimed to be a regular encounter near Gundurwahi village in Bhamragarh tehsil. The pamphlet also said that the government has put many “pro-people” and “intellectual leaders” in jail in the name of “urban Naxalism”. “The Brahminical, fascist government, led by Devendra Fadnavis, is milking Gadchiroli’s natural resources, like iron ore, after coming to power. When people oppose it, the police oppress them. Officials and police are creating hurdles in the way of tribals taking benefit of the PESA provisions,” the pamphlet reads. It adds “we will continue to oppose them tooth and nail”. The pamphlet also called upon people to observe a bandh (general shutdown strike) on May 19 called by the Naxals [Left Wing Extremists, LWEs] to protest against the April 27 encounter.