Naxalism will be wiped out from India: Rajnath Singh

Pic courtesy: Twitter/@ITBP_official

Patna/Chapra: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that Naxalism will be "wiped out" from the country. Addressing an event organised by the Bihar BJP unit on the eve of Babu Veer Kuer Singh's 160th Viyotsav Diwas in Patna, he said the number of incidents related to the rebels has come down since 2013. 

Also, the number of deaths due to Naxal attacks has come down to one third, Singh added.

"Naxalite's confidence is shattered. Naxalism will be wiped out from the country," he said at the programme attended by a galaxy of BJP leaders and union ministers.

"These Naxalites thrive at the cost of poor people. I would like to tell the poor of the country as well as those of Bihar that the Naxal leaders want them to remain poor, whereas their own children study in prominent colleges and universities, and some of them even study abroad. The Naxalite leaders have become crorepatis," Singh said, as per PTI.

आज छपरा, बिहार में @ITBP_official की छठी बटालियन के परिसर के उद्घाटन समारोह में भाग लिया. इस अवसर पर बल के बहादुर जवानों एवं अधिकारियों को भी सम्मानित किया गया. मैं आशा करता हूँ कि इस बल की क्षमता में आगे भी ऐसे ही निरंतर प्रगति होती रहेगी. pic.twitter.com/RmkcFXQST7

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 22, 2018

Sh @rajnathsingh Hon'ble @HMOIndia and Sh @NitishKumar Hon'ble CM Bihar inaugurates the 6th Battalion ITBP Headquarters in Kotheyan, Jalalpur Chhapra (Bihar). Sh R K Pachnanda, DG ITBP welcomed the distinguished guests. #Himveer pic.twitter.com/47uWun2bKT — ITBP (@ITBP_official) April 22, 2018

Meanwhile, at least 14 naxals were killed on Sunday in an encounter with the police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, a senior official said. He said a team of C-60 commandos, a specialised combat unit of the Gadchiroli police, carried out the operation.

"Fourteen Naxals were killed in the encounter. The combing operations are still on," said Inspector General of Police Sharad Shelar, PTI reported.

He said the combing operation, which started in the morning, was currently underway at Tadgaon forest in Bhamragad. Director General of Police Satish Mathur congratulated the C-60 team which participated in the encounter.

The DGP said there was a possibility that Naxal leaders of "DVC ranks," Sainath and Sinu alias Srikant, were among those killed.

(With PTI inputs)