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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

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,...

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.

Rahul Gandhi's citizenship issue under consideration: Centre to Delhi HC

  • PTI
  • Mar 26
  • 2 min read

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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court was informed by the Centre on Wednesday that the issue over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Indian citizenship was under consideration with the Ministry of Home Affairs.


Noting the submission of the counsel for the Central government, a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Tushar Rao Gedela posted the matter on May 28.


BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had sought directions to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to decide over Gandhi's citizenship.


"The matter is under consideration," Additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma said.


The bench was also informed that the Allahabad High Court, which was seized of a similar case, had recently granted four weeks time to the ministry to apprise it about the outcome of the proceedings.


When Swamy urged the court to direct Gandhi to file his response to a letter issued to him by the MHA, the bench said it couldn't control the action of the ministry.


"We can't compel. The proceedings are before the ministry. It is for the ministry to take a decision. We can't control the actions of the ministry and cannot issue any direction to any person who is party to the proceedings before the ministry," it said.


On February 19, the Delhi High Court asked the Centre to apprise it of the status of Swamy's representation given to the MHA to decide over Gandhi's Indian citizenship.


Swamy's plea, filed by advocate Satya Sabharwal, said on August 6, 2019, a letter was sent to the ministry alleging Gandhi had "voluntarily disclosed" to the British government that he was a citizen of British nationality, which amounted to holding a British passport.


Swamy, therefore, said the Congress leader, being an Indian citizen, had violated Article 9 of the Constitution, read with the Indian Citizenship Act, and would cease to be an Indian citizen.


He claimed to have made several representations to the ministry inquiring about the status of his complaint but neither was any action taken nor was he intimated about it.


In the MHA's April 2019 letter to Gandhi, he was informed about Swamy's representation over his citizenship and he was reportedly asked to intimate the factual position in the matter within a fortnight of receipt of the communication.


On Wednesday, BJP worker from Karnataka S Vignesh Shishir, moved the Allahabad High Court over Gandhi's citizenship, updated the bench with the developments in his petition.


Shishir was permitted by the Delhi High Court to file an impleadment application and an affidavit mentioning the developments that took place following his PIL filed in the Allahabad High Court.


While Swamy has maintained that the matter pending in the Allahabad High Court was unrelated to his case as the prayers were totally different, Shishir claimed his plea had led to multiplicity and parallel proceedings.

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