---
title: " Ramesh Chennithala Says Naxalites Should Be Brought Into Legal Fold, Not Shot Dead"
english_title: "Ramesh Chennithala on Naxalites: Bring Them Into the Legal Path, Not Kill Them"
publisher: "Truevision English News"
canonical_url: "https://english.truevisionnews.com/news/381405/ramesh-chennithala-naxalites-legal-path-not-shot-dead"
published_at: "2026-09-07T05:19:00+05:30"
category: "Big Story"
language: "en"
image: "https://cf.zdn.im/img/truevisionnews.com/0/image-uploads/6a9dfcf0156fc_ramesh-chennithala-naxalites-legal-path-not-shot-dead.jpg"
keywords: ["Ramesh Chennithala", "Naxalites", "Maoists", "Kerala Politics", "Kerala Police", "Home Minister", "UAPA", "Alan Thaha"]
---

#  Ramesh Chennithala Says Naxalites Should Be Brought Into Legal Fold, Not Shot Dead

> **Lead Summary:** Kozhikode: Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said it was his view that Naxalites should be brought into the path of law rather than being shot dead. He said that when he was Home Minister earlier, he had given specific instructions to the police in this regard.

## Article Content

Kozhikode: Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said it was his view that Naxalites should be brought into the path of law rather than being shot dead. He said that when he was Home Minister earlier, he had given specific instructions to the police in this regard.

Chennithala was speaking at a function in Kozhikode where the Senior Journalist Forum Kozhikode District Committee presented an award instituted in memory of noted journalist Malappuram P. Moosa to former Naxalite and social activist K. Ajitha.

Recalling an operation to arrest Naxalites, including Roopesh and Shaini, during the Oommen Chandy government, Chennithala said that he was the Home Minister at the time. According to him, the police had received information that Roopesh and Shaini were near Coimbatore. When the information was brought to his attention, he said he had given strict instructions that they should not be shot under any circumstances.

Chennithala said he had also instructed the police not to shoot them even if they managed to escape. The police eventually arrested them. He said that if Roopesh had been shot dead at the time, he might have gained considerable publicity, but he did not want such publicity.

Chennithala said Roopesh is now walking freely, speaking and addressing meetings. He added that he knew what Roopesh and others were speaking about and said they were not currently speaking against the country, the administration or the people. He said he appreciated that change. According to Chennithala, the responsibility of those in power is to bring people engaged in illegal activities back to the path of law. He also acknowledged that his belief could sometimes be wrong.

Chennithala further said that during the previous government's 10-year tenure, five Maoists were shot dead. When the bodies of two of them were brought to Kozhikode, he was the Leader of the Opposition and went to see them. He said they had been shot from behind, which, in his view, indicated that they were shot while fleeing and that it was not an encounter.

He said shooting someone from behind was never the right course of action. Chennithala also recalled the case of two young men from Kozhikode, Alan and Thaha, who were arrested under the UAPA by the previous government. He said he had opposed the action and had questioned the former Chief Minister about it. According to Chennithala, he was told that the UAPA had been introduced by his own government and asked why the Leader of the Opposition was opposing it. He said he responded that although his government may have introduced the UAPA, the two young men should not be unnecessarily targeted.

Chennithala said Alan and Thaha met him at the Secretariat the other day. He said the entire Secretariat was filled with police after they heard that the two were coming to meet him. He said he asked all the police personnel to leave. When he returned from home after lunch, he said there were police personnel throughout the Secretariat again. He said he told them that no police personnel were needed and added that he spoke to the two young men and explained the matter to them.

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