Saturday, February 12 2005 14:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guntur: Naxals of CPI (Communist Party of India)-Maoist today (Feb 12, 2005) the house of a Congress leader and torched a bus in Macherla, hours before Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's visit to the district, police said.

Asking people to boycott the Chief Minister's visit, the Maoist ultras in a statement warned that all approach roads to Macherla town, where Reddy has several engagements today, were heavily mined.

"Reddy will pay dearly for his anti-Maoist and anti-people policies," the statement by local Maoist leader Suresh said. The district is a stronghold of CPI-Maoist group.

Earlier this morning, about 15-armed Naxals stormed the house of Congress leader P Adireddy, who was former Panchayat president in Nakarekallu village, and asked the family members to come out.

They then blasted the house with land mines and shouted slogans against the State Government. Adireddy was out of station at the time of the incident, police said.

Armed Naxals also stopped a Road Transport Corporation bus at Gundapalli village, asked the passengers to alight and torched it, police said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister arrived in Macherla town under heavy security. His helicopter landed in an enclosed area in the sprawling RTC workshop, sources said.