Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Naxal problem in the country will end in the next two-to-three years, and except for a small pocket in Chhattisgarh the whole country is now free from the menace. In an interview with PTI late Saturday, Shah also said that there is no presence of the Maoists in the so-called Naxal corridor from Pashupatinath to Tirupati. "Naxals were eliminated from all over the country. Once some people used to say about the Naxal corridor from Pashupatinath to Tirupati. Now, Jharkhand is completely free from Naxals. Bihar is completely free. Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are also completely free. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are also free," he said. Shah said the Naxals were still operating in some pockets of Chhattisgarh and could not be eliminated there so far as there was a Congress government in the state in the last five years. He said since a BJP government has assumed power in the state five months ago, work to free Chhattisgarh from the
The exchange of fire broke out when security personnel were cordoning off the forest on Bijapur-Narayanpur border on Thursday and the intermittent firing lasted till evening, an official said
As many as 18 Naxalites, including a militia platoon section commander and three women, surrendered on Wednesday in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada, a senior police officer said. Hidma Oyam (34) was working as the Hurrepal Panchayat Militia Platoon (HPMP) section commander, said Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai. The three women are identified as Sambati Oyam (23) who was working as a deputy commander of HPMP, Gangi Madkam (28), the vice president of Kakadi Panchayat Krantikari Mahila Adivasi Sangthan (KAMS) of the banned CPI (Maoist), and Hungi Oyam (20), a member of Hurrepal Panchayat. "The 18 Naxals laid down arms in front of police and CRPF officials. They were part of Bhairamgarh, and Malanger area committees of the Maoists in south Bastar," Rai said. He said the Naxals surrendered themselves as they were impressed by the police's rehabilitation drive 'Lon Varratu' and disappointed with the hollow Maoist ideology. "These cadres were tasked with digging roads, felling tre
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has eliminated terrorism from the country while Naxalism is on the verge of ending. Addressing an election rally in Chhattisgarh's Kanker town, Shah also asked Naxalites to surrender, or else they would be rooted out from the state in two years. He asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that four generations of his family were in power in the country, but what they have done for the poor people in Chhattisgarh. "The Congress says the minority (community) has the first right over the country's resources of the country, but we (BJP) say the poor, adivasis, Dalits and backwards have the first right over resources of the country," Shah said. He also said that Congress leaders did not attend the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol at the Ayodhya temple in lure of their vote bank. The Union minister hailed PM Modi, saying he has a "track record of 10 years and agenda for 25 years." "Narendr
Sweltering conditions, a rough terrain and unavailability of drinkable water were some of the challenges faced by the security personnel during their encounter with Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, a police officer said on Wednesday. But their toil and struggle did not go to waste as 29 Naxalites were killed in the operation that took place near Binagunda village under Chhotebethiya police station limits, he said. Around 200 personnel of the state police's District Reserve Guard and the Border Security Force were involved in the operation that took place on Tuesday. Besides the weather, the terrain made the operation difficult, said Pakhanjur police Station House Officer (SHO) Laxman Kewat, one of the officers who led the forces during the encounter. Talking to PTI, Kewat said, "Hot weather conditions and dehydration posed a huge challenge. Climbing a hill carrying weapons and rucksacks in such a weather was a tough task, but the security personnel were very motivated.
A 14-member police team conducting a combing operation in a dense forest area in this north Kerala district got lost during their return journey but was rescued early Wednesday morning by the Forest department's rapid response team. The police team, which also included the Agali DySP, had gone to the Attappady forest after getting information about cannabis cultivation going on there. The team found the cannabis cultivation and destroyed it, but the operation took time and it got dark while returning which resulted in them getting lost deep inside the forest, the DySP told the media. He said that mobile networks were not available in many places and when they got connectivity, they informed the Forest department which dispatched a Rapid Response Team (RRT). "The RRT team reached us around 1 am and then using GPS helped us come out of the forest," the DySP said. He also said that there were wild animal-related problems, but the team was prepared to handle them. A member of the RRT
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday said Naxalites have become frustrated as the Bharatiya Janata Party's "double engine" government has intensified the fight against the Naxal menace. He was talking to reporters after paying homage to the three personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who lost their lives in an encounter with Naxalites along the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts of the state on Tuesday. Fifteen other personnel were injured in the incident. The wreath laying ceremony for the martyred personnel was held at the camp of the 201st battalion of CRPF's CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit at Karanpur village in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district. Sai said since the "double engine" government (of the BJP in the state and at the Centre) has been formed after his party came to power in Chhattisgarh, the fight against Naxalites has been intensified due to which they have become frustrated. "In Tekalgudem, a new
Naxalism will be eliminated from the country within the next three years, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday and directed to expedite development activities in remote areas affected by the ultras. Reviewing the Naxal situation in Chhattisgarh, Shah also directed the security forces to financially choke the ultras. According to sources, the home minister said coordinated action by the security forces will eliminate the Naxals from the country within the next three years. He also directed the officials to prepare a blueprint to end Naxalism. Supporters of Naxalism have to be identified and completely choked financially, Shah added. The home minister said all kinds of help will be ensured to the security forces and agencies operating in Chhattisgarh. The security forces have to bring the plan to the ground and end Naxalism completely, he told the meeting. Shah also stressed the need for expediting development in Naxal-affected areas. All welfare schemes of the central and
Three battalions of the BSF comprising more than 3,000 personnel will move across the border from Odisha to Chhattisgarh and an equal number of ITBP units will further move into the Naxal stronghold of Abujhmad as part of a strategy to intensify anti-Maoist operations in their last bastions, official sources said. The new operational blueprint is part of a plan under which Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently made a declaration that India was "on the verge of" eliminating Left Wing Extremism (LWE). "The last strike against LWE by forces such as the BSF, the CRPF and the ITBP is in the process. We are determined to end Naxalism in the country," Shah said on December 1 in Hazaribag, Jharkhand while addressing BSF troops on their 59th raising day. These forces are called as central armed police force (CAPFs). Sources in the security establishment told PTI that the Border Security Force (BSF) has been directed to create six new COBs or company operating bases in Chhattisgarh's ...
The Maharashtra government plans to acquire 5,000 hectares of land in Gadchiroli district, affected by Left Wing Extremism, for industrial development, Industries Minister Uday Samant said on Friday. He made the announcement during a review meeting of the industries department and the District Planning Committee. Samant highlighted the interest of several major industrial houses in establishing their units in Gadchiroli which has created the need for substantial land acquisition. The minister informed about the proposed Rs 22,000-crore investments by companies like Lloyds Metals and Varad Ferro in the district, for which he said, MoUs have been signed and notifications are set to be published soon. Plans to acquire land for new industries were outlined at the meeting, covering areas like Chamorshi, Mulchera, Armori and Sironcha, totalling approximately 5,000 hectares, he said. Ambuja Cement, JSW and other companies have expressed willingness to set up units in Gadchiroli which ...
Two workers were killed and another sustained injuries after a pressure improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Naxalites went off at an iron ore mine site in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Friday, police said. The incident took place around 7.30 am when the three workers were heading for work in Aamdai Ghati iron ore mine on a hill under Chhote Dongar police station limits, located around 350 km away from state capital Raipur, a senior police official said. Jayaswal Neco Industries Limited (JNIL) has been allotted the iron ore mine in Aamdai Ghati and Naxalites have been opposing the project for a long time. Prime facie, the workers came in contact with the pressure IED connection triggering the blast, he said. The deceased were identified as Ritesh Gagda (21) and Shravan Gagda (24), residents of Narayanpur district, he added. The body of Shravan who was reported to be missing after the explosion, was found at the blast site, he said. The injured worker, Umesh Rana,
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel and his government for having a nexus with the Naxalites
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the people of Chhattisgarh should vote to form a "double-engine" government (the BJP at the Centre and in Chhattisgarh)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress has only given dilapidated roads and poorly conditioned hospitals and schools to the people of Chhattisgarh
The Naxalites killed a 40-year-old man, accusing him of being a police informer, and warned election officials not to visit polling booths to conduct voting on November 7
Shah took to 'X' to share his views a few hours before he is to chair a review meeting on Left-wing Extremism (LWE) here in the national capital
At least six vehicles were set on fire and two employees of a private road construction company were assaulted by members of banned CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand's Palamu district, a senior police officer said on Thursday. The incident happened in the Haldiya Ghati area under the Chhatarpur Police Station limits, around 220 km from the state capital Ranchi, on Wednesday evening, he said. Around 15 Maoists reached at the road construction site and beat up two clerks of the company, Chhatarpur sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ajay Kumar told PTI. "Maoists also torched six vehicles, including trucks, engaged in the road construction," he said, adding that it was suspected that Maoists conducted the attack on the site for levy. "We are investigating the case and an operation has been initiated to nab the Maoists involved in the crime," he said.
A 62-year-old Naxalite accused in more than 60 criminal cases and wanted by police in four states has been arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Jabalpur city, police said. The accused Naxalite, Ashok Reddy, was carrying a collective reward of Rs 82 lakh in Telangana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, an official press release issued by the MP Police Headquarters on Tuesday said. Following a tip-off, Reddy, a resident of Golkonda (Telangana) and his wife Raimti aka Kumari Potai (43), resident of Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh) were arrested from Jabalpur on Tuesday, it said. More than 60 criminal cases, including of murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, rioting, attack on police, abduction, arson and cases under the Explosives Act, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have been registered against Reddy in various states, the release said. A pistol with cartridges, Rs 3 lakh in cash and CPI (Maoist) literature were recovered from the
On April 26, 10 DRG personnel and a civilian driver were killed after insurgents triggered an IED blast on Aranpur road
The Chhattisgarh government on Friday made changes in its anti-Naxalite policy related to compensation and other facilities, and also approved the draft of a bill that aims to enshrine protection of mediapersons in law. A key change in the policy will enable the family of a person from outside Chhattisgarh to receive compensation in case of death in Naxalite violence in the insurgency-affected state. These decisions were taken by the state cabinet at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in the Assembly premises here. Informing reporters about the cabinet decisions, state urban administration minister Shivkumar Dahariya said the draft of the 'Chhattisgarh Mediapersons Protection Bill 2023' was approved in the meeting and its details will be known once it is tabled in the Assembly during the ongoing Budget session. Similarly, some provisions related to compensation and other facilities were amended by the cabinet in the state government's policy on elimination of ...