Latest news with #OperationKagaar
Hindustan Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Maoists admit to losses, 350 cadres killed last year
The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has admitted to significant losses, acknowledging that 357 of its cadres were killed in the past year and that 'improper implementation' of their secretive tactics were to blame for the government having succeeded in its Operation Kagaar. Maoists admit to losses, 350 cadres killed last year The admission, contained in a 22-page document dated June 23 and circulated by the party's Central Committee, offers a rare official acknowledgment of massive losses and strategic failure from a left-wing extremist movement that the government has vowed to uproot by April, 2026. The most significant setback was the death of Nambala Kesava Rao, the general secretary of the outfit, on May 21. Police officials confirmed the document was distributed among cadres and sympathisers following strategic discussions after the killing of Rao, who was known as Basvaraju. The Maoist leadership attributed their setbacks to 'improper implementation of secret methods of functioning, rules of guerrilla war and tactics formulated by the Central Committee.' The internal document, seen by Hindustan Times, provides a detailed breakdown of casualties that the party itself acknowledges. Of the 357 dead, the document states 136 were women, with losses spread across their operational zones: Dandakaranya/Bastar in Chhattisgarh (281), Telangana (23), Odisha (20), Bihar-Jharkhand (14), Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-north Chhattisgarh region (8), Andhra-Odisha Special Zone (9), Western Ghats (1), and Punjab (1). The document categorises these admitted deaths with unusual specificity: 269 in encirclement attacks, 80 in what they term 'fake encounters,' four from ill health and improper treatment, and one in an accident. The impact was spread over organisational hierarchy too: four Central Committee members including Kesava Rao, 16 state committee leaders, 23 district committee leaders, 83 area committee members, 138 party members, 17 People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) members, and six from organisational wings too were killed. Police records, however, suggest even higher casualties than what the Maoists admit, with officials claiming 217 Maoists were killed in 2024 alone and approximately 460 by mid-2025. The setbacks have prompted the rebels to take to a pivot, adopting what they call 'flexible guerrilla war' tactics that emphasise constant mobility and avoiding direct confrontation with superior forces. The Maoist document explicitly calls for abandoning previous approaches, referencing circulars from the Central Committee and Politburo from February and August 2004. The document states: 'We must be decentralised, class struggle must be made in coordination of legal-illegal, open-secret forms of struggle and organisation.' The document outlines new tactics using metaphors, stating: 'The guerrilla war goes as per the tactics like 'breeze' and 'flowing water.'' It explains that like a breeze, cadres must maintain 'constant mobility instead of staying in one place,' while the flowing water approach means avoiding 'decisive wars with the enemy that is many times stronger.' The document asserts that the government's attempts 'to eliminate the revolutionary movement before March 31, 2026 should be defeated by strictly following the tactics formulated by the central committee and politburo.' While the document claims PLGA forces 'eliminated 75 enemy armed forces and injured 130 and seized few weapons in the past one year' through booby traps, IEDs and ambushes, police officials describe a very different reality. Vivekanand Sinha, additional director general for Anti-Naxal Operations in Chhattisgarh, said: 'Facing a financial crisis, they've been pushed onto the back foot. Their formations have weakened, and they're now blending in with local villagers. They've become highly suspicious of everyone, which has unfortunately led to a rise in the killing of civilians.' Intelligence officers report that battalions in Bastar have been broken into smaller units and pushed into inaccessible areas around Indravati National Park, with many rebels abandoning military attire to live among villagers, a person aware of the matter said, asking not to be named. Security forces estimate Maoist cadre strength in Bastar has dropped from several thousand to just a few hundred. A senior intelligence officer said a separate Politburo circular issued approximately a month ago stated 'the time was not favourable for rebellion,' instructing all cadres to go underground and break large formations into small units to avoid detection. The shift was confirmed in an interview by Rupesh, a senior CPI (Maoist) cadre, with local journalist Vikas Tiwari, according to police officials aware of the matter. Rupesh reportedly admitted that senior leaders 'have been moved to isolated areas and placed alone, disguised in rural attire, blending in with villagers to avoid detection.' Tiwari confirmed the interview to Hindustan Times. Close to 20,000 security forces have been deployed across Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra for anti-Naxal operations, according to police officials. The intelligence official quoted above said that to compensate for reduced numbers, Maoists have enhanced perimeter vigilance and are using villagers as spotters and information carriers, though this tactical shift is not explicitly acknowledged in the June document. Security officials also report an increase in attacks on suspected police informers, with six villagers killed in June alone by Maoists. Intelligence inputs indicate this tactic is being used to conduct reconnaissance and identify suspected informers, though the document does not directly address civilian targeting. A security official said: 'The political operatives are openly mingling with villagers, often disguised as common civilians, participating in meetings and even staying in villages for extended periods to avoid detection.' Despite acknowledging massive casualties and strategic failures, the document maintains defiance. It asserts that central and state governments cannot eliminate the revolutionary movement by March 31, 2026, and calls for mounting pressure through civil society groups across 9-10 states to halt Operation Kagar. The party has called for observing 'martyrs' week' from July 28 to August 3 across their areas of influence.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
EC should be autonomous, says TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud
TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud HYDERABAD: TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud on Thursday expressed serious concerns over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the special intensive revision of electoral rolls taken up by it in Bihar ahead of assembly elections there. "ECI should maintain its autonomous stature and should not become a tool to benefit any party. In Bihar, the elimination of voter names on the pretext of surname discrepancies clearly benefited one particular political party. The Supreme Court will take an appropriate decision on this issue," he said, participating in the reopening of CPI Makhdoom Bhavan office here, along with CPI state secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao among other leaders. He also expressed deep concern over 'Operation Kagaar', alleging that it was being used as a cover by the central govt to hand over forest and mineral wealth to corporate entities.
Hans India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
PCC chief slams ‘Operation Kagaar' as cover for corporate greed
Hyderabad: Expressing deep concern over 'Operation Kagaar', Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud has alleged that it is being used as a cover by those at the helm of affairs in the Union government to hand over forest and mineral wealth to corporate entities. Addressing the reopening ceremony of the CPI's Makdoom Bhavan office, the PCC president underscored that even when Maoists expressed willingness to hold talks, the Centre launched 'brutal operations,' 'disregarding humanity' and resulting in the 'deaths of women and children.' He added that following his participation in a round-table conference criticising Operation Kagaar, he was unjustly branded an 'urban Naxal' and 'anti-national.' The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief voiced serious concern over the functioning of the Election Commission. 'It is unfortunate that the Commission has become a tool to benefit certain individuals. In Bihar, the elimination of votes under the guise of surname discrepancies clearly benefited one particular party. This is now a matter before the Supreme Court,' he said. Goud welcomed the INDIA bloc's united protest against this 'undemocratic' elimination process and stressed the need for all democratic forces to unite. He also criticised the BJP-led Centre for weakening constitutional bodies. 'Since coming to power, the BJP has systematically undermined institutions. The Election Commission is one such casualty. Even honest officials within the institution are now being forced to bend under political pressure,' he remarked. Citing the BJP's failed employment promises, Goud said, 'The Prime Minister had promised two crore jobs. Instead, existing jobs are being eliminated and public sector units are being shut down to be handed over to private individuals.' Mahesh Kumar Goud called for unity among secular and democratic forces. 'This is the time to come together. To protect the future of this nation, secular forces must strengthen. We must rise above party lines and ideological divides to defend the rights of the people and the democratic fabric of this country,' he urged. Earlier, he paid rich tributes to the legacy of poet-revolutionary Makhdoom Mohiuddin, describing Makhdoom as a symbol of literary brilliance and revolutionary politics. 'His bond with the Singareni coal mine workers was legendary. Alongside comrades like Baddam Ella Reddy and Venkat Reddy, Makhdoom called for armed struggle against oppression,' Goud recalled. He also highlighted Makhdoom's multifaceted talents, noting that he was not only a poet but also a skilled stage actor who translated George Bernard Shaw's plays into Urdu.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Telangana can be another Bihar if EC decision is not opposed: CPI
Hyderabad Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D. Raja stated that the Election Commission was attempting to remove votes of certain groups from the Bihar voters' list under the guise of a special amendment, and such a practice could spread to States like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and even Kerala. Speaking at the inauguration of the refurbished CPI office (Makhdoom Bhavan) in Hyderabad on Thursday, Mr. Raja said that there was a need to strengthen secular and democratic parties and forces to protect the Constitution and the country. 'Communal forces have seized power at the Centre and are using it as well as the government authority to change the Constitution and turn the secular, democratic and welfare State into a religious one. CPI National Secretary K. Narayana said that during the KCR regime, dharnas were banned, but Makhdoom Bhavan served as a platform for protests for all political parties. He was angry that 'Operation Kagaar' was continuing when all the democratic forces were asking the Centre to discuss with Maoists. He said that Naxalism cannot be killed. Former CPI National General Secretary Suvaram Sudhakar Reddy said Communists would exist as long as class exploitation continues in the world. TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud argued for Congress and Communist parties working together to protect a secular and democratic India. He said that this alliance is inseparable. CPI State Secretary Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao said that after the reconstruction of Makhdoom Bhavan, Communist leaders have decided to set up a Raj Bahadur Gaur Knowledge Centre and hoped that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would extended support. CPI(M) State Secretary John Wesley was also present.
Hans India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
42 PC BC Quota: Jagruthi threatens to file mass nominations in local body polls
Hyderabad: Telangana Jagruthi President and BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Wednesday said that if the state government fails to implement 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes (BCs) in the upcoming local body elections, her organisation would stall the election process by filing hundreds of nominations in every village across the state as a form of protest. Addressing a press conference here at her residence on Wednesday, Kavitha criticized Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for failing to raise the BC reservation bill issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite having visited Delhi numerous times. She sarcastically remarked that Revanth could earn a Guinness World Record for the most visits to Delhi without achieving any results. MLC Kavitha alleged that the Chief Minister was not genuinely committed to securing approval for the BC Bill. Kavitha ridiculed the BJP's plan to organize a 'Telangana Vikasit Yatra' in support of the BC Bill. She stated that unless the BJP clearly supports the BC Bill, people will not trust their political moves, regardless of how many rallies they organize. Highlighting the intensifying agitation, Kavitha announced a massive 'Rail Roko' protest on July 17 demanding BC reservations. She urged citizens to reschedule any travel plans between July 16 and 18. She noted that various caste-based organizations, including SC and ST groups, were extending support to the Telangana Jagruthi movement. She slammed the CM's 'paper tiger' stance, stating that though he calls himself the 'Nallamala Tiger,' he has failed to act against projects like the proposed 150 TMC Bollapalli reservoir, which threatens to submerge the Nallamala forest. Telangana Jagruthi, she said, would approach the courts over the issue. MLC Kavitha challenged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy: 'If you are truly the son of Nallamala, stop the Bollapalli reservoir.' She also demanded that the Chief Minister to demand the central government to convene an Apex Council meeting immediately and push the Centre to act on Telangana's water concerns. MLC Kavitha called for an end to 'Operation Kagaar', urging both the central and state governments to initiate dialogue with Maoists. She expressed condolences on the death of Telangana Maoist leader Gajjala Ravi in an encounter and extended sympathies to his family.
