The recent killing of Maoist leader Basavaraju, who used to walk around with a multi-layer security cover of about of 60-70 armed naxals, demonstrates the enhanced accuracy of the security forces in carrying out recent anti-naxal operations.
Despite the challenges, the security forces and the government relentlessly continued their efforts to end the Naxal menace in not only Abujhmadh but the entire Dandakaranya region.
It must be recalled that until 2015, around 106 districts were marked naxal-affected. By 2024, this number came down to 38 and now to 18. Of these, 12 were most naxal-affected, however, this number has further dropped to just 6.
At least seven Naxals were killed in an encounter with District Reserve Group (DRG) personnel along the inter-district border of Narayanpur, Dantewada and Kondagaon, a senior police official said.
Dantewada was retained by the BJP's Bhima Mandavi in 2018. Mandavi and four security officers were murdered days before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as their convoy was attacked in Dantewada district by Naxals. Notably, this time the BJP is represented by Chaitram Atani, a former member of the now-illegal Sulwa Judum movement.