Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday stated that left-wing extremism in the state is "almost over" with the surrender of senior Naxal leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Bhupati, and 60 other hardcore cadres in Gadchiroli. The surrender also involved advanced weapons like AK-47s and Insas rifles.
‘An important day for Gadchiroli,’ says CM Fadnavis
While addressing the office of Gadchiroli Police, CM Fadnavis described it as "an important day for Gadchiroli district" and went on to say, "The process of eliminating Maoism from Gadchiroli began today. Gadchiroli district has been battling Maoism for over 40 years. Chandrapur, Bhandara, and Gondia were also initially affected by Maoism. Chhattisgarh and Telangana, bordering Maharashtra, were also plagued by Naxalism. Development was devoid of development. Young people were misled by the system. "
Bhupati’s long association with Naxalism
Fadnavis added that the surrender was important for the state, as Bhupati had been a Naxalite for over four decades and had founded the Aheri Sironcha group in Gadchiroli." Sonu alias Bhupati's surrender is significant because 40 years ago, a new group, the Aheri Sironcha, was started in Gadchiroli. Bhupati was the one who initiated it, providing intellectual support and logistics," he stated.
The surrender process of Bhupati begins earlier this year when his wife Tarakka, a committed Naxalite herself, surrendered in January.
Bhupati calls for peace talks
Bhupati, in a statement, showed willingness to talk peace with the government, stating, " I am laying down the weapons and will become a part of movements for providing relief for the oppressed in India.” He further added, “Since the last week of March 2025, our party has been engaged in peace talks with the government. The party's chief secretary issued a press statement in May, which kept an offer of a ceasefire while asking for a month's time to deliberate on laying down the weapons. Unfortunately, the Central government did not give their reply on it; rather, they have increased the intensity of their attacks.”
He again appealed, "We ask for one month from the Centre to hold discussions with our comrades in several states, and also those in jails. We are also ready to hold talks via video calls. This will depend on the one month's time you grant by putting a stop to the bloodshed in the jungles. Our party, leftist organisations, and sympathisers can send us their views, and we will consider them."
Maharashtra nears Maoist-free status
With Bhupati’s surrender, the Naxalite threat in Gadchiroli is largely over, with only Company 10, comprising 10–12 active cadres remaining. Fadnavis noted that the move is expected to encourage similar surrenders in other states, including Chhattisgarh.
