Maoist leader Basavarju's killing a big achievement, last nail in coffin of Naxalism: CM Sai

Raipur | Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday said with the killing of top Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavarju by security forces, the government has put the last nail in the coffin of Naxalism.

Basavaraju, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and a Polit Bureau member of the outlawed organisation, was among 27 Naxalites gunned down by security forces in forests along the borders of Narayanpur and Bijapur districts on Wednesday. Two jawans of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a state police unit, were also killed during the fierce gun-battle.

"For the first time in three decades, a Maoist of the general secretary rank of the banned outfit has been neutralised. This is an extraordinary achievement and a clear indication that we have put the last nail in the coffin of Naxalism," Sai told reporters here.

The septuagenarian Maoist figure carried a collective reward of Rs 3 crore on his head which included Rs 1 crore bounty declared by the Chhattisgarh government, Rs 1 crore by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Rs 50 lakh by the National Investigation Agency, Rs 25 lakh each by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha governments, he said.

Basvaraju alias Gaganna, who was considered as the backbone of the armed movement, was counted as Number 1 among the Maoists, he said.

"With his elimination, we have succeeded in breaking the backbone of Naxalism. The credit for the success goes to the valour and courage of our brave security forces. We are rapidly moving towards the goal of eliminating Naxalism by March 2026," the BJP leader said.

The morale of security personnel is at its peak and the countdown of Naxalites has begun, he insisted.

"Guns and talks cannot go together. Naxalism has destroyed the lives of innocent tribals and today every one in the Bastar region wants development. Our government's policy has been to answer bullets with bullets and talks with talks," he emphasised.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP government in Chhattisgarh has been continuously working for the last one-and-a-half years to root out Maoism from the Bastar region, achieving extraordinary results, Sai said.

The CM, who assumed office in December 2023 after the BJP returned to power in the state, said security forces have neutralized more than 400 Naxalites and arrested 1,422 cadres, while 1353 Naxalites surrendered in the last one-and-a-half years.

The state government has formulated a new surrender and rehabilitation policy to persuade insurgents to give up arms and join the national mainstream, Sai maintained.

"Those who were fed up with the hollow and violent ideology of Maoism have got a good opportunity to live a peaceful life by joining the mainstream through this policy, he said.

"We have completely ended Naxal domination in many villages of the Bastar region (comprising seven districts -- Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur and Sukma). In these villages, development activities are taking place rapidly through the 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme," he added.

Replying to a query at the press conference, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who holds the home portfolio, said his government has the list of all Maoists who are active in jungles and also their urban and rural supporters, and "they all will be dealt with".

He affirmed no peace talks on the Naxal issue can take place on the direction of those who diktat the government by sitting in Hyderabad.

Late last month, a group of intellectuals met Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad and called for a ceasefire and peace talks with Maoists.

"I want to clarify that no talks can take place with those people, who by convening a meeting in Hyderabad, direct the government (on the issue of peace talks). They (those people) never stood with (people of) Bastar in their pain. If Maoists want, talks can take place under the direction of the CM. There is no confusion in it. The government doesn't want to fire a single bullet," Sharma insisted.

Union Home Minister Shah and CM Sai have already appealed to Naxalites to shun violence and join the mainstream," he pointed out.

Additional Director General (Anti-Naxal Operation) Vivekanand, who was also present at the press meet, termed the offensive in which 27 Maoists were killed as the "biggest and extraordinary achievement" in the history of Naxalism not only in Chhattisgarh but the entire country.

Abujhmad, the site of the encounter, is spread over an area of about 5,000 square km in Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada and Kanker districts in Chhattisgarh and bordering areas of Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) surrounded by dense forests and difficult terrain, he said.

In the last few years, security forces have tried to fill the security vacuum in the vast region and in the last 18 months alone, 15 new security camps were established there, informed the IPS officer.

As a result, which security vacuum area was reduced to 3,200 square km. However, operational areas are still 35 to 40 km away from the nearest security camps, he said.

Despite facing many challenges, including difficult geographical terrain, security forces have been successfully carrying out anti-Naxal operations in Abujhmad, Vivekanand noted.

Briefing about Wednesday's encounter, Vivekanand said on May 18 an operation was launched by DRG personnel during which exchange of fire took place between them and Naxals half a dozen times.

Finally on May 21, security forces neutralised 27 Naxalites, he said.