Groups termed ‘naxal fronts’ by cong govts took part in bharat jodo yatra fadnavis

Groups termed ‘naxal fronts’ by cong govts took part in bharat jodo yatra fadnavis

Action was taken against some of these organisations under UAPA, says Maharashtra CM after winter session; asserts Gadchiroli will be next ‘steel city’, district will be Naxal-free in three years.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday alleged that outfits described by past Congress regimes as “frontal organisations” of Maoists took part in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Speaking at a press conference in Nagpur along with his deputy Eknath Shinde at the end of the week-long winter session of the Assembly, Mr. Fadnavis also said his Mahayuti government would identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living in Mumbai and deport them.

Mr. Fadnavis reiterated his allegation, made during the session, that “urban Naxal outfits”, acting as frontal organisations of Maoists, participated in Mr. Gandhi’s march. “I am not saying this, but the reports of the Congress-led State and Central governments prior to 2014 said so,” he said. Action was taken against some of these organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, he noted.

Public Security Bill

To a question about the Public Security Bill, aimed at ‘curbing the urban Naxal menace’, Mr. Fadnavis said it was sent to a joint select committee comprising 21 members from both Houses for scrutiny. The decision was made even without the Opposition making such a demand so that nobody could allege that it contained provisions to suppress legitimate dissent, he said. The committee will be headed by BJP leader and Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the CM added.

Mr. Fadnavis asserted that Gadchiroli district will be Naxal-free in the next three years and Gadchiroli town will be the next ‘steel city’ of the country.

Replying to the debate on the Opposition-sponsored motion in the Assembly last week, Mr. Fadnavis had listed several infrastructure projects across the State and farmer-centric initiatives. He said the northern part of the Gadchiroli district, bordering Telangana and Chhattisgarh, has been rid of Naxals and is on the path of development.

Naxals have either been killed or have surrendered, he said. About 1,500 youth from the district, which is in the Vidarbha region, have joined the police force of which 150 are from families of Naxals, he said.

“There has been no recruitment by Naxals from Maharashtra. In the next three years, Naxalism will be completely eradicated from Gadchiroli,” he said.

The CM said capacity building for Gadchiroli to make it the “steel city” of India is in full swing. He said Gondia and Gadchiroli are being linked through the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.