With over 75 per cent polling recorded in the recently concluded Chattisgarh assembly polls, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday said this sent a right message to the Maoists, who had unleashed violence in the state.
At a three-day conference of State Police Directors General and Inspectors General here, Shinde said Left wing extremism remained "a major threat" to the national security, despite reduction in violence levels, though the Naxals have continued to target security forces and those reposing faith in democratic policy.
"I take this opportunity to congratulate the security forces for their outstanding role in ensuring peaceful polling in the recently held assembly elections in Chattisgarh. The high voter turnout has sent the right message to the Naxalites that common people of the area have reposed faith in our democratic polity," he said.
The Home Minister commended the BJP government in Chattisgarh, when he said the central and state security forces, however, have achieved notable successes in restricting their areas of influence, denying them fresh recruits and eroding their top leadership.
"There has also been a drop in the casualty figures of security forces from 111 last year to 97 this year. On the other hand, the number of Naxals killed has gone up to 97 from 71 last year for the same period," he added.
Reiterating the centre's commitment to "root out the menace" of Maoists violence, Shinde said the central government would continue to help the affected states by placing at their disposal central armed police forces and support various security as well as development related interventions in the Naxal areas.
"However, the driving force to deal with this problem must come from local initiatives led by the states," he added.