Top former Naxalite leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi, who surrendered to the Gadchiroli Police in Maharashtra on October 14, has appealed to his former comrades to abandon the path of armed struggle and join the mainstream to work for the people.

In a video message released by the Gadchiroli police on Saturday, Bhupathi urged Maoist cadres to give up violence, describing the armed movement as a “failed path”.