05:11 pm
What’s the story
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday praised the security forces for their successful anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district.
He highlighted that 29 Maoists were neutralized during these operations, marking a significant achievement for the security forces under the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Shah emphasized that this success is part of an ongoing campaign against Naxalism and terrorism initiated under Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s tenure.
Why does this story matter?
In a significant operation against Maoists, 29 rebels were neutralized in Chhattisgarh’s dense Hapatola forest in Kanker district on Tuesday.
A video shot by security personnel shows a glimpse of what it took to carry out Chhattisgarh’s biggest anti-Maoist operation.
The operation was executed by a joint force of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of the state police.
Among those eliminated was high-ranking Maoist leader Shankar Rao, who carried a bounty of ₹25 lakh.
Countermeasures
More than 250 camps anti-maoists camps established in Chhattisgarh
In a video shared on social media, the Union Minister said that over 250 security camps have been established in Chhattisgarh since 2019 to counter Maoist activities.
Within three months of the government’s formation, more than 80 Naxalites were neutralized, over 125 apprehended, and upwards of 150 surrendered in the state, he added.
Separately, this year has seen an increase in security operations in Chhattisgarh, with 79 Maoists killed already, a significant rise from the 22 killed in 2023.
Anti-Maoist operation precedes Lok Sabha elections
Notably, the encounter occurred thre just days before Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected constituencies in south Chhattisgarh are set to vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections.
The Bastar constituency is scheduled to vote on April 19, while the Kanker constituency, part of the Bastar region, will vote in the second phase on April 26.
The four-hour-long gunbattle also resulted in a large cache of weapons being recovered.
Twitter Post
Video: Amit Shah talks about Chhattisgarh encounter
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