Raipur
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday said the elimination of top Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, by security forces marks a decisive and historic blow to Naxalism in the state.
Basavaraju, general secretary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and a member of its politburo, was among 27 Maoists killed in an encounter with security forces in the dense forests along the Narayanpur-Bijapur district border on Wednesday.
“This is the first time in 30 years that a Maoist of general secretary rank in the proscribed organisation has been neutralised. It is a historic achievement and a clear signal that we have hammered the final nail into the coffin of Naxalism,” CM Sai told reporters at a press conference.
He noted that Basavaraju carried a cumulative bounty of ₹3 crore — ₹1 crore each from the Chhattisgarh government and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, ₹50 lakh from the National Investigation Agency, and ₹25 lakh each from the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha governments.
Calling Basavaraju, also known as Gaganna, the “central figure and backbone of the Maoist insurgency,” the Chief Minister said he was considered the most senior leader of the CPI (Maoist). “His death is a significant milestone. We have broken the backbone of the Naxal movement,” he said, crediting the success to the courage and commitment of the security forces.
CM Sai added that the morale of the security personnel is at an all-time high and that the downfall of Naxalism has begun. “Guns and dialogue cannot coexist. Naxalism has only brought suffering to innocent tribal communities. Today, every resident of Bastar aspires for peace and development,” he said.
Reiterating his government’s firm policy, he stated, “Our stand is clear — bullets will be met with bullets, and dialogue with dialogue.“
He also highlighted that over the past 18 months, security forces have eliminated more than 400 Naxalites and arrested 1,422 others.
