Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Chhattisgarh on Friday for a two-day trip to evaluate the progress of the ongoing anti-Naxal operations in the state.
The development underscores the combined impact of sustained counter-insurgency operations and Chhattisgarh’s rehabilitation initiatives aimed at dismantling the Naxal network.
A 23-year-old woman naxalite operative living with a changed identity, having multiple cases against her, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was held from Pitampura in North West Delhi, police said on Wednesday.
The three-tier Panchayat elections in Chhattisgarh have ushered in a historic shift in the democratic landscape of Bastar, a region that was once considered a Naxal stronghold.
Amid heightened security for local body elections, Naxal insurgents struck again in Southern Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Tuesday, injuring a CRPF jawan in a targeted IED blast. The attack, which occurred in the Aranpur police station area, has reignited concerns over Naxal violence disrupting democratic processes in the Bastar region.
This has led to recovery and seizure of huge quantities of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), arms, laptop/Notebook, multi-meter, medicines including oral contraceptives which indicate exploitative nature of cadres towards women cadres.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, speaking at the valedictory session of senior police officers conference, said “there was a further significant improvement in the Left Wing Extremism situation as a result this year 5 districts i.e. Angul, Boudh, Deogarh, Nayagarh and Sambalpur have been declared as LWE free”.
Shah is expected to review development works like construction of roads, bridges, schools, health centres being carried out in the Naxal-hit areas.
The DGP flanked by senior police and BSF personnel assured locals of creating a secure environment and emphasized on holistic development of the Bonda hills through focused approach of the government.
Officials called it the biggest Maoist attack on security forces since the attack in Sukma in 2017 when 24 CRPF personnel, part of a road opening party, were killed.
