Hyderabad: The outlawed People's War Group (PWG), blamed for yesterday's (Oct 2) devastating landmine blasts targeting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, is the most dreaded among naxalite outfits in the state with a macabre agenda of coming to power through barrel of gun.

Founded in 1980 by charismatic ultra-left leader Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, the PWG's revolutionary path is littered with blood with the extremist outfit eliminating scores of policemen, politicians and 'police informers' during the last 23 years.

The PWG, facing ban since 1992 barring a year-long reprieve in mid-1990s, had, in the past, assassinated the state Panchayat Raj Minister A Madhav Reddy in a landmine blast, similar to yesterday's operation at Tirupati, gunned down Congress MP M Subbarami Reddy and two MLAs P Purushotham Rao and Raghya Naik.

It was first time that naxalites attacked a Chief Minister in a high-precision operation, blasting Naidu's car near the ghat road at Tirumala foothills.

However, the bullet-proof car saved the day as the 'Level 3 Armour' vehicle, considered the highest security level, absorbed the impact, saving the lives of its occupants.

In the last four years, 187 people, including 67 politicians belonging to various parties, were killed by PWG extremists.

PTI