CPI (Maoist) trying to expand its influence in newer areas, without any success: MHAS report

NEW DELHI: With CPI being the most potent threat among the different shades of Naxal outfits operating the country, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in its latest report has said that the left-wing extremists were trying their best to seep into new areas along interstate borders but without any significant success due to the government’s multipronged approach and tough action by paramilitary and state police forces. In the report for the year 2023-24 the MHA said, the CPI continues to be “the most potent among the various LWE outfits” in the country. As the Naxal outfit received major reverses in the face of the onslaught by the security forces, the MHA said, the CPI has been making efforts to expand to new areas along interstate borders, but has so far failed to get any "significant success.” The outfit wishes to keep the population in their areas of influence marginalised to perpetuate their outdated ideology, it added. The report further asserted that because of the efforts of the security forces and other developmental initiatives, there has been a reduction in violent incidents, from 1,136 in 2013 to 594 in 2023, which is a decrease of 48 per cent.