Red Blisters

In fact, those in charge of the chief minister’s security are hard-pressed to explain how the landmines went undetected when at least three anti-sabotage checks are done on any route taken by Naidu. The last of these checks is carried out two to three hours before the VVIP convoy is scheduled to pass by. The mines were planted within a few hundred yards of the Allipiri police station, which speaks of a lowering of guard or sheer complacency. An official inquiry has been ordered into the security lapses under S. Subramanyam, a retired police officer who is the security advisor to the state government.

Caught on the backfoot, the police say they were not equipped to handle such an eventuality. Says DGP S.R. Kumar: "This cannot be called a security lapse because we don’t have the technology yet to detect claymore mines. We only have the technology to detect landmines." He also claimed the mines could have been planted in that spot about a year ago. This has been rubbished by other officials who point out that the Naxals do not plan operations so much in advance.

Though there have been no claims so far, the prime suspect, according to the police, is the People’s War (PW). Officials say attacks using claymore mines (a generic name for explosives that can be detonated from a distance) is typical of the Naxal outfit’s mode of striking. And it is a well-known fact that Naidu has been its prime target for some time now. According to initial investigations, the mines were probably triggered by a camera flashgun wired to them as Naidu’s white Ambassador came into line with the sights set by an ambush team, which lay in wait 50-100 metres away. In all, 17 mines were planted of which nine exploded.

According to intelligence officials, the nature of the operation suggests it was "definitely carried out by a special action team that would have been set up exclusively for this task". Police suspect the operation may have been masterminded by Bapanna alias Sudhakar, a former district secretary of the PW from Telangana who has recently moved base to Chittoor.

For Naidu it was a providential escape. Had he not been in a bullet-proof car, his attackers would have successfully pulled off an audacious assassination. Naidu escaped by a whisker with the rear of the specially fortified Ambassador bearing the brunt. The vehicle was thrown several feet into the air and the hood and the hatchback blew off with the impact. But Naidu, sitting in the front, escaped with scratches and a broken collarbone. His cabinet colleague Gopalkrishna Reddy and two other TDP legislators in the backseat were not as lucky and suffered more serious injuries.

It was a shocking breach of Z plus security. Naidu was on his way to the Tirupati temple for an annual ritual by the CM, offering ceremonial shawls to the deity during the ongoing Brahmotsavam festival of Lord Venkateshwara. The attackers capitalised on the fact that this was a well-publicised trip and they knew exactly when the CM would be travelling towards Tirumala, the hilltop shrine. They also knew he’d have no choice but to drive since temple rules don’t allow anyone to arrive by air for a darshan.

In keeping with the PW’s style, it was a meticulously planned operation where crude devices were used to devastating effect. A series of directional mines, triggered by wires, were planted on the side of the road just before it starts to climb towards the temple. More mines were loaded on the left bank targeting the side of the car the chief minister normally sits in and though Naidu was travelling in a convoy, the attackers managed to exactly pinpoint the one he was in. This suggests several operatives were involved who were closely watching Naidu’s movements and knew exactly which car he was travelling in. According to the police, this information would have been conveyed to the ambush team through cellphones.

The attack has left the police red-faced. Also, it has made a mockery of its claims that significant progress has been made by the state over the past few months in its long-drawn battle against the Naxals. However, intelligence sources claim they had been expecting the PW to execute a sensational attack on a VVIP. But, like always, such intelligence inputs surfaced only after the strike.

Over the past few months, the PW has suffered some setbacks and lost several key leaders, especially in its traditional Telangana stronghold. Subsequently, there has been a spurt in Naxal violence in regions not generally prone to such attacks. Intelligence officials claim the slew of recent strikes against police and politicians in areas such as Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra, coupled with documents recovered from the Naxals, prove it’s part of a new PW strategy as "sensational attacks, carried out by even small bands, help create an illusion that the group is still strong and making inroads into fresh areas". The attack at Tirupati, not considered a traditional Naxal stronghold, would be in keeping with this strategy.

Over the years, the Naxals have pulled off several high-profile strikes in Andhra. But the fact that this time they managed to get so close to the seemingly all-powerful Naidu could prove to be a severe blow to the morale of the TDP. The PW threat has already made it almost impossible for ruling party politicians to visit constituencies in the Telangana region. Now, the fear psychosis could spread beyond traditional Naxal strongholds.

"This attack shows there’s no alternative but to revive dialogue and peace talks," says balladeer Gadar who represented the Naxals in the last round of peace talks in July a year ago. It was scuttled when police publicised documents which proved that the PW was not really interested in talking peace. The outfit was pushing for a ceasefire so that its members could go back to the villages and rebuild old networks. So far, Naidu has been going by the advice of his senior police officers and has refused to give in to the rebels’ demand for a ceasefire.

However, it is to be seen if Naidu will step up the police pressure on the PW or exercise the option of holding talks. The police could be tempted to launch an all-out attack against the Naxals to avenge this strike on the chief minister. However, with an election looming ahead, his own politicians are more likely to pull in the opposite direction—they would urge Naidu to buy peace with the Naxals, even if it is only temporary.