Patnaik hails security personnel for killing six Maoists in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Dec 26 (PTI) Former Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Friday hailed security personnel for killing six Maoists in Kandhamal district and said the state's efforts to curb left-wing extremism have resulted in substantial success.

The BJD president, who had also remained in charge of the home department for over 24 years, appealed to the red rebels to return to the mainstream.

“Glad to know that six CPI (Maoist) cadres have been neutralised by security forces. Left-wing extremism had been a critical internal security challenge for the nation and #Odisha’s sustained efforts to curb left-wing extremism have resulted in substantial success,” Patnaik said on X.

He said that the state’s focused attention to expedite socio-economic development, road connectivity and pro-poor policies led to a steady decline in Maoist activities.

“We always insisted violence does not have a place in civilised world and appealed to the left-wing extremists in the region to shun the path of violence and embrace progress,” he said.

Top Maoist leader Ganesh Uike, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.1 crore on his head and chief of the banned outfit in Odisha, was among the six red rebels who were killed in gun battles with security forces in Kandhamal district.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah called the Kandhamal encounter a "major breakthrough", while Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described it as a "remarkable success" to build a Maoist-free India.

Odisha DGP Y B Khurania said that the LWE (left-wing extremism) activities have substantially come down in Odisha, but Kandhamal remains a challenge for the police.

He said the state’s focus is now entirely on Kandhamal and its adjoining districts. PTI AAM AAM BDC