'Bihar now Naxal-free, 77% decline in Maoist violence,' says CRPF DG; Home Minister Amit Shah hails 'historic milestone'

File image of CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh. ANI

New Delhi: CRPF Director General Kuldiep Singh on Wednesday said that Bihar is now Naxal-free.

“They may have a presence in the form of extortion gangs, but there is no place in Bihar where Naxals have domination,” he said.

“There is no place in Bihar and Jharkhand where forces cannot reach,” he added.

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: Kuldiep Singh, DG, CRPF pic.twitter.com/M8LikrDE0c
— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2022

Elaborating on the operations against the Maoists, Singh said that Buddha Pahad in Jharkhand which was a Naxal-dominated area has been freed.

77% decline in Naxal violence

The CRPF DG also said that there has been a 77 per cent decline in Naxal violence.

“The incidents of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) have come down significantly. There have been 77% reduction. In 2009, it was at an all-time high of 2258, which has come down to 509 at present,” he said.

“Since April 2022, 7 Naxalites have been killed in Chhattisgarh, 4 in Jharkhand and 3 in Madhya Pradesh under Operation Thunderstorm. A total of 578 Maoists have surrendered/ arrested,” Singh added.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah has hailed the gains as a ‘historic milestone’

देश की आंतरिक सुरक्षा में एक ऐतिहासिक पड़ाव पार हुआ है।
पीएम @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व में देशभर में वामपंथी उग्रवाद के विरुद्ध चल रही निर्णायक लड़ाई में सुरक्षाबलों ने अभूतपूर्व सफलता प्राप्त की है।
इसके लिए @crpfindia, सुरक्षा एजेंसियों व राज्य पुलिसबलों को बधाई देता हूँ।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 21, 2022

With inputs from agencies

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