Bhupathi's surrender beginning of Naxal movement's end in Maharashtra: Fadnavis

Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), Oct 15 (PTI) The surrender of senior Naxalite Bhupathi and 60 other cadres is the "beginning of the end of the Naxal movement" in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.

In the coming days, the entire "red corridor" in Chhattisgarh, Telangana will be free of Naxalism, Fadnavis said, adding he was proud that Gadchiroli in Maharashtra was leading the fight against the outlawed CPI (Maoist).

The CM was addressing a gathering after senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi surrendered before him along with 60 other cadres in Gadchiroli district.

Bhupathi carried a bounty of Rs 6 crore, an official said.

The Naxalites surrendered along with their 54 weapons, which include seven AK-47s and nine INSAS rifles, the official said.

Bhupathi alias Sonu was considered one of the most influential strategists in the Maoist organisation and had long supervised platoon operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.

Fadnavis said there are a handful of Naxalites remaining and they, too, should surrender or face police action.

He expressed satisfaction that Gadchiroli was leading the fight against Naxalism in the country.

The surrender of Bhupathi, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 6 crore and raised the Naxal movement at Aheri and Sironcha in Gadchiroli, and 60 other cadres is a big development, Fadnavis said.

"It is a big thing in the history of the country. Bhupathi's surrender is the beginning of the end of the Naxal movement in Maharashtra," he said.

Naxalites should know that they have lost the ideological war, and equality and justice can be achieved only by joining the mainstream and adhering to the Indian Constitution, he said.

The surrender of Bhupathi and 60 other cadres will pave the way for the end of the so-called "red corridor" of Maoists, and it is a moment of pride as it has started from Maharashtra, the CM said.

The remaining cadres, who are in Chhattisgarh, have also understood that they have lost the ideological war and the dreams they were chasing were wrong. They have understood that only the Indian Constitution can ensure them justice, he said.

Fadnavis said he believes that in the coming days, more than 100 cadres will surrender in Chhattisgarh and Telangana also, and Naxalism in the so-called "red corridor" will come to an end.

"It is a moment of pride for me that it has started from Gadchiroli and Maharashtra," the chief minister said.

The CM assured that those who have surrendered will be rehabilitated with dignity.

In the next 5 to 7 years, one lakh "sons of the soil" in Gadchiroli will be employed in the district itself, which is becoming a steel hub, he said.

In the last 10 years, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre ensured that the administration and development reach the last person in the society and gave only two options to Naxalites, to either surrender and join the mainstream or face the consequences, he said.

Fadnavis lauded the bravery of the Gadchiroli police in the fight against Naxalism.

He said Naxalism was near its end in the district, but it does not mean that the police department becomes complacent and relaxed.

"We need to be very alert for the next two years because when such a movement is nearing its end, then the remaining few try to attack one last time," Fadnavis said.

For more than 40 years, Gadchiroli district witnessed Maoist violence and was far from development, he noted.

The youth of Gadchiroli were misled by the Maoist ideology and did not know that equality can be achieved only through the Constitution, he said.

He also assured the best and proper rehabilitation of the surrendered Naxalites.

Today, Gadchiroli is becoming the steel magnate of the country, with around Rs 3 lakh crore of investments creating huge employment opportunities, he pointed out.

Fadnavis said he has asked investors to come to Gadchiroli and consider locals for 95 per cent of the jobs.

The government has resolved to create more than one lakh good employment opportunities for locals in Gadchiroli and adjoining Chandrapur in the next 5 to 6 years, he said.

Fadnavis also assured the overall and sustainable development of Gadchiroli.

He said that Gadchiroli, which was known as the last district of Maharashtra, is moving towards becoming the "first district" of the state. PTI CLS MR VT GK