Odisha crisis: Talks suspended after Maoists kidnap MLA

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Bhubaneswar: The Maoist crisis in Odisha has taken a turn for the worse, after the two Italians, now a MLA Jhina Hikaka from Naveen Patnaik's party, the BJD, has been abducted.

However, top police sources have conformed to CNN-IBN that the Maoists faction responsible for the abducted is different from the one which took the Italians hostage.

Hikaka has been kidnapped by Maoists, even as negotiations were on to secure the release of two Italians who were abducted from the forests of Kandhamal on March 14.

"My husband used to say that he is working very hard for the tribal people and the Maoist would never harm him. I do not understand why they kidnapped him. I plead them to release my husband as soon as possible," MLA's wife Kaushalya Majhi said.

The 37-year-old MLA was on his way back to his village in Laxmipur when his vehicle was ambushed. The armed Maoists left posters at the spot demanding immediate suspension of anti-Maoists operations and release of political prisoners.

The MLA's abduction led to Opposition ruckus in the Odisha Assembly.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought Home Minister Chidambaram's help.

"While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, it is suspected that it has been done by the Maoists," Patnaik said.

Angry at the sudden development, the negotiators appointed by the Maoists, have themselves called off all talks.

"When there is violation of the conditions laid for negotiations from both the sides, there is no point in further negotiations. So we suspend it and appeal to release all the hostages on humanitarian ground," Negotiator Dandapani Mohanty said.

But official sources suspect Mohanty would not have made such a demand without consulting Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda. They suspect a rival Maoists group was responsible for the MLA's abduction.

Top police sources have confirmed to CNN-IBN that the MLA has been abducted by the Andhar-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee, a Maoist group headed by Ramakrishnan. It is believed that this group is opposed to the Maoists group headed by Sabyasachi panda in Kandhanal and they also did not approve Sabyasachi's act of abducting the two Italian tourists.