Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated,...

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Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated, highlighting the dramatic turnaround. He revealed that from approximately 100 Maoist cadres on record in January 2024, the number has plummeted to barely 10 individuals whose movements are now confined to a very small pocket of the Bhamragad sub-division in South Gadchiroli, near the Chhattisgarh border. “North Gadchiroli is now free of Maoism. The Maoists have to surrender and join the mainstream or face police action... there is no other option.” The SP attributes this success to a meticulously executed multi-pronged strategy encompassing intensified anti-Maoist operations, a robust Civic Action Programme, and the effective utilisation of Maharashtra’s attractive surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. The Gadchiroli Police, especially the elite C-60 commandos, have achieved significant operational milestones. In the last three years alone, they have neutralised 43 hardcore Maoists and achieved a 100 per cent success rate in operations without police casualties for nearly five years. SP Neelotpal highlighted that the security forces have aggressively moved to close the “security vacuum,” which was once an estimated 3,000 square kilometres of unpoliced territory used by Maoists for training and transit. The establishment of eight new police camps/Forward Operating Bases (FoBs) since January 2023, including in the remote Abujhmad foothills, has been crucial in securing these areas permanently. Winning Hearts, Minds The Civic Action Programme has been deemed a “game changer” by the SP. Through schemes like ‘Police Dadalora Khidaki’ and ‘Project Udaan’, the police have transformed remote outposts into service delivery centres, providing essential government services and employment opportunities. This sustained outreach has successfully countered Maoist propaganda and, most critically, resulted in zero Maoist recruitment from Gadchiroli for the last few years. Surrender Wave The state’s progressive rehabilitation policy has seen a massive influx of surrenders. “One sentiment is common among all the surrendered cadres: that the movement has ended, it has lost public support, and without public support, no movement can sustain,” the SP noted. The surrender of key figures, notably that of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias ‘Bhupathi,’ a CPI (Maoist) Politburo member, and his wife Sangeeta, was a “landmark development” that triggered a surrender wave. Since June 2024, over 126 Maoists have surrendered. The rehabilitation program offers land, housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and employment. Surrendered cadres are receiving skill training and are successfully transitioning into normal life, with around 70 already employed in the local Lloyds plant. A District Reborn The transformation of Gadchiroli is now moving beyond security concerns. With the decline of extremism, the district is rapidly moving towards development and normalcy. The implementation of development schemes, round-the-clock electricity, water supply, mobile towers, and new infrastructure like roads and bridges is being given top priority. He concludes that the police’s focus is now shifting from an anti-Maoist offensive to routine law-and-order policing, addressing new challenges like industrialisation, theft, and traffic management. With the Maoist movement in “complete disarray” and major strongholds like the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zone collapsing, the SP is highly optimistic. Gadchiroli is not just getting rid of the Naxal menace; it is embracing its future as a developing, peaceful district, well on track to meet the central government’s goal of eradicating Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

Names of 10k genuine voters deleted in each constituency, alleges MVA

Correspondent
Oct 20, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Names of 10k genuine voters deleted in each constituency, alleges MVA

Mumbai: Leaders of the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi on Saturday accused the BJP of deleting names of at least 10,000 genuine voters from each constituency in Maharashtra in the run-up to the November 20 assembly polls.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule was part of the conspiracy to delete the names of bonafide voters and get bogus names, including those from other states, added to the electoral roll.

“The conspiracy to delete at least 10,000 names from each constituency has been exposed. We will create awareness among people and, if needed, will lead a protest march to the election office with those whose names have been deleted,” Raut said.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, who was also present during this media interaction, said the MVA has met the state’s chief electoral officer.

The opposition will also send a detailed mail on the matter to the Election Commission of India, Patole added.

“Out of fear of losing the assembly polls, names of original voters are being deleted. Names of bogus voters from other states are being included. Some officials are hand in glove with the BJP in this. People of Maharashtra will not tolerate it if the ECI does not conduct assembly polls in a transparent manner,” Patole said.

He alleged the voters whose names have been deleted belong to particular castes and religion.

Speaking on the issue, NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad said the MVA has found that names of original voters, who cast their franchise in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, have been deleted in Shirdi, Chandrapur, Arvi, Kamptee, Kothrud, Gondia, Akola East, Chikhli, Nagpur, Kankavli, Khamgaon, Chimur and Dhamangaon Railway assembly seats.

Meanwhile, Patole also asked why the ECI cannot remove Maharashtra Director General of Police (Rashmi Shukla) for the sake of fair and free polls when it has taken such a step in poll-bound Jharkhand.

The ECI on Saturday directed the Jharkhand government to remove the state’s Acting Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta from his post with immediate effect due to a “history” of complaints against him in previous elections.