Raipur: Chhattisgarh deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on April 30 slammed those appealing the Union Government for halting the ongoing operations against the Maoists and peace talks.
The Dy CM also questioned the silence of those currently seeking a political solution to the Maoist issue over the violence unleashed by the banned group on civilians and security forces in the past.
“A few people or a group is claiming certain things about peace talks, I want to ask who are they and where were they when 27 people were killed in Dharbandora or in Chingavanam or Manikonda? Where were they when Bastar Adivasis were killed in Errabor, when our political leaders were killed in Jheeram or when 76 jawans were killed in Tadmetala. They don’t speak up when people lose their lives or get handicapped for life due to IED blasts, how they have appeared suddenly” said Sharma.
He further turned down the possibilities of talks with people who claimed to be representing the Maoists stating “Why should we talk to them? These people are trying to misguide the whole country. Nothing is going to happen with these kinds of efforts. If the Maoists want a dialogue then they should come forward and talk, but the issue is who are these people who are emerging now, how can they talk about peace talks, they should reveal what connection they have with them (Maoists),” added the DY CM.
The DY CM emphasised that “if the Maoists wants a dialogue then they should come forward and inform that who will talk. They should commence the dialogue with states and join the mainstream. We have a clear mandate on this and both Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have pleaded to them (Maoists) to join the mainstream.”
#WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh | BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao urged the Centre to have a dialogue with the Naxals and stop Operation Kagar.
Chhattisgarh Dy CM Vijay Sharma says, "… Who are these people and where were they when 27 people were killed in Dharbandora? Or in… pic.twitter.com/d3faZ9jp1q
— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2025
The DY CM’s remarks arrived on the heels of Telangana Chief Minister Revant Reddy’s interaction with a group of people and proposal of a peace committee meeting.
▶️मुठभेड़ पर तेलंगाना से शांति की अपील।
▶️शांति की पहल पर #VijaySharma की दो टूक…#CGNews | #Chhattisgarh | @vijaysharmacg | @BJP4CGState pic.twitter.com/DZUBRVgveV— IBC24 News (@IBC24News) April 30, 2025
Earlier BRS MLC Kavitha on Monday too urged the central government to “call for a ceasefire” in Operation Kagar in Chhattisgarh and find a “political solution” to Maoism by inviting Maoists for talks, stressing that the issue should be addressed through dialogue, not force.
Interacting with the media, Kavitha said, “Operation Kagar is being carried out in Chhattisgarh and our party, and we firmly believe that the ideology of Naxalism (Maoism) should be eradicated only through dialogue and not by the use of force… India must find a political solution to Naxalism.”
“I believe the central government should immediately call for a ceasefire, invite the Naxalites for talks, and I am very confident that every party in this country will support this cause,” she added.
Notably, of late the security forces has amped up operations in core Maoist zone of Bastar in Chhattisgarh, leading to major damages to the outlawed group who is reported to be battling for its survival in the dense forested zones bordering Telangana.
Persistent operations of the security forces in Bastar, infamous as the strongest bastion of the reds have resulted in neutralisation of over 350 Maoists cadres, including a few notable names since December 2023 alone.
Recently a massive operation involving over 24k personnel was also launched on April 21 with an aim to free the Karegutta hills along the Telangana border in Chhattisagrh’s Bijapur district.
The operation which is still reported to be underway was launched after the police received credible intelligence related to the presence of top Maoist leaders in an area stretching around 800sq km including the likes of top Maoist commanders like Barse Deva, the leader of the Peoples’s Liberation Gurerilla Army (PLGA) battalion no 1 and dreaded Maoist commander and Central Committee Member Madavi Hidma.
The major operation launched in the bordering region however has triggered political reactions with many including political leaders urging for a political solution and peace talks with the outlawed Maoist group who is said to be in a weakened state and battling for survival.
Earlier the CPI (Maoist) in a press release also proposed for dialogues by putting along certain riders such as the removal of security camps from the interior regions alongside halting the ongoing operations by security forces.
Replying to the Maoist’s proposal, the state government however clarified that while the government is willing to talk with anyone who believes in the democratic setup and freedom of citizens there is no way that the ongoing operations against those holding guns will be called off.
