Bihar declared Naxal-free, Shah hails security forces

In a significant development, Bihar has been declared free from Left Wing Extremism on Wednesday, said the director general of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Kuldiep Singh.

Singh said that while Maosists may have some presence in the form of extortion gangs, there is no place in the eastern state where the rebel outfit is dominating, as per media reports.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah commended the role of security forces in the fight against the red terror. He took to Twitter to hail the armed forces for the achievement. “Zero tolerance policy of Home Ministry against terrorism and Left-wing extremism (LWE) will continue,” Shah wrote on Twitter in Hindi.

Singh, who addressed a press conference on successes achieved by security forces against Left Wing Extremism, said there is no place in Bihar and Jharkhand that is impenetrable, according to a Hindustan Times report.

“We can say that now Bihar is Naxal free. They may have a presence in the form of extortion gangs, but there is no place in Bihar where Naxals have domination. There is no place in Bihar and Jharkhand where forces cannot reach,” the CRPF DG was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Singh further informed that through three special operations – ‘Operation Octopus’, ‘Operation Thunderstorm’ and ‘Operation Bulbul’ – launched since April this year, the security forces have freed Burha Pahad along the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border from the control of the rebels, wrote HT.

“Burha Pahad was dominated by the Naxals for the past 32 years. A permanent base has been set-up there in the last two days under Operation Octopus and troops have been sent there through helicopter,” he said.

He further said: “There has been a 77% reduction. In 2009, it was at an all-time high of 2,258, which has come down to 509 at present. Death rate has come down by 85%.”

Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs had declared six – Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Arwal and East Champaran – out of 16 districts with Maoists presence in the state as Naxal-free.

The Centre in 2009 had formally listed CPI (Maoist) as a separate terrorist outfit under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. – INDIA NEWS STREAN