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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.

Tamil Nadu Governor’s Withholding of Bills “Illegal and Arbitrary”: Supreme Court


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In a significant victory for the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government, the Supreme Court has ruled that Governor RN Ravi's decision to withhold assent to 10 crucial Bills was "illegal" and "arbitrary". The court emphasized that once assent is withheld, the Governor cannot then reserve those Bills for the President.


"The action of the Governor to reserve the 10 bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary. Thus, the action is set aside. All actions taken by the Governor thereto for the 10 bills are set aside. These Bills shall be deemed to be cleared from the date it was re-presented to the Governor," said the bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan. The court further noted that Governor Ravi had not acted in "good faith".


According to the bench, the Governor should have approved the Bills after they were passed again by the Assembly and re-submitted to him.


Article 200 of the Constitution outlines the Governor's options when a Bill passed by the state legislature is presented to him. The Governor can either give assent, withhold it, or reserve the Bill for the President's consideration. He may also return the Bill to the House for reconsideration of certain provisions. However, if the House passes it again, the Governor is bound to give his assent. A Governor can only reserve a Bill if he or she believes it contradicts the Constitution, the directive principles of state policy, or if it raises issues of national importance.


The court also introduced specific timelines for these decisions. It stated that any delay beyond these timeframes could be subjected to judicial review. Governors will now have a month to either give or withhold assent and to reserve the Bill for the President—with the advice of the Council of Ministers.


If the reservation is done without ministerial advice, the deadline is extended to three months. For Bills re-submitted after being passed again by the Assembly, the Governor must act within a month. The court affirmed that any use of power under Article 200 is subject to judicial scrutiny.


Clarifying its stance, the court stated it is "in no way undermining the Governor's powers". It added, "All actions of the Governor must align with the principle of parliamentary democracy."


RN Ravi, a former IPS officer and one-time official with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), assumed the post of Tamil Nadu Governor in 2021. Since then, his relationship with the MK Stalin-led government has remained strained. The DMK has accused him of behaving like a spokesperson for the BJP and obstructing legislative matters and appointments. Ravi, however, maintains that the Constitution allows him to withhold assent to Bills.


Tensions between the state government and Raj Bhavan have surfaced on multiple occasions, including during the Governor’s customary address to the Assembly. Last year, Governor Ravi walked out in protest because the National Anthem was not sung at the beginning of the address. Traditionally, the Tamil Thai Valthu is sung when the House convenes and the National Anthem at the end. Ravi objected, insisting that the national anthem should be played both at the beginning and end.


In 2023, he declined to deliver the customary address to the Assembly, claiming the draft contained "numerous passages with misleading claims far from truth". A year prior, he had refused to read sections of the speech that included mentions of BR Ambedkar, Periyar, CN Annadurai, the term 'Dravidian Model', and references to law and order in the state.

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