‘Followed Basavaraj’s call’: Naxal leader Rupesh on laying down arms; rejects ‘traitor’ tag;

A surrendered Maoist leader, Rupesh, refutes the ‘traitor’ label, claiming he and others followed slain chief Basavaraj’s directive to cease armed conflict and pursue peace talks. Rupesh alleges current leadership, including Devji, is withholding Basavaraj’s final call from cadres, suggesting a failure to communicate the party’s shift towards ending the insurgency.