Maoist rebels take Indian villagers hostage

Suspected Maoist rebels have taken a group of about six villagers hostage in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi began addressing a rally there, officials and news reports said on Saturday, according to dpa.

'Half a dozen residents of Marenga village were picked up Friday night by Maoist rebels,' local police official D Shravan said.

Shravan denied media reports that 300 villagers were taken hostage by the rebels to prevent them from attending the prime minister's rally.

Marenga village is located about 80 kilometres east of the site of Modi's rally near Dantewada town.

Modi is the first prime minister to visit the Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh in 30 years.

He is scheduled to ink projects to build a rail link and a steel plant in the area and visit some schools for children affected by Maoist violence.

Chhattisgarh is among India's worst-affected states by the Maoist insurgency, which has killed more than 6,719 civilians, militants and security personnel since 2005, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal.