RAIPUR: More than 150 Maoists led by senior Naxal leader Rupesh and woman commander Ranita in-charge of Maad division of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKZC) will surrender before the Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai and Home Minister Vijay Sharma in Jagdalpur (Bastar) on Friday.
Welcoming the move, Sharma said that the Maoist rebels in large strength are going to renounce the banned outfit and return to the mainstream. “The state government will roll out a “red carpet” welcome to them. The police department has carried out all preparations for the occasion in Jagdalpur”, he added.
The entire Maad division team of CPI (Maoist) crossed the forested terrain, the Indravati river and inter-district border of Dantewada and Bijapur carrying around 70 weapons and will reach Jagdalpur where the formal ceremony of mass surrender is scheduled to happen, a police officer said.
Rupesh alias Satish, a Naxal spokesperson hailing from Andhra Pradesh, was among those Maoist leaders who recently appealed to the Centre to halt the operations for six months to facilitate peace talks. Rupesh was instrumental as a key communication channel between the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) and the different divisions of DKZC, revealed a source.
Besides the crumbling Maoist organisation, the frustration with ‘hollow’ ideology, ongoing offensive operations against left-wing extremists and the outreach efforts by the forces led the Red ultras surrender in such big strength, officials said.