Maoist sympathizer and social activist Varavara Rao, who is in jail, has been heavily trolled on social media for a few days now. Earlier this week, a 2016 interview of the poet went viral on social media.

In the interview, Rao can be seen justifying the killing of security forces by Maoists on different occasions. Referring to the Dantewada massacre in which 76 CRPF jawans were butchered by Naxals in 2010, Rao asks, "What were CRPF men doing there?" He argues that it is unconstitutional for security forces to enter Adivasi areas. "When you poke your finger into the house of ants, will they not bite you?" Rao asks, justifying the massacres by Naxals. In another analogy, he describes policemen as snakes. "Maoists do not believe in the Constitution, laws. The very existence of the police is unlawful," Rao further opines.

Plugging the Telugu-language interview, many have said that Rao deserves no mercy on health grounds. "He is clearly waging a war against the Indian state. He deserves no mercy," a Twitter user wrote. "I won’t make any moral judgments here; but when you essentially declare war on the state and support violent separatism, don’t act surprised when the state throws the book at you," tweeted columnist Mihir Shah.

Monica, a research scholar described Varavara Rao as an intellectual terrorist. "Momentarily, one may feel bad about his age and health. But it does not last because he deserves every bit of the incarceration and more. Should have got there long back," wrote columnist Pratyasha Rath.

Several activists have been demanding that Rao be given bail on health grounds. On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court observed that the 80-year-old poet is almost on the deathbed.

The "81 year old Poet" who defends massacres without batting an eyelid.
VaraVara Rao. pic.twitter.com/jZLi6rQDcw

— VarunReddy2002 (@reddy2002_varun) November 18, 2020