Bijapur/Kanker: As many as 51 Naxalites, 20 of them carrying a collective bounty of Rs 66 lakh, surrendered in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, police said.
Hailing the development, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home minister Amit Shah, the country is now rapidly moving towards achieving the goal of a Naxal-free India.
Fifty-one Naxalites, including nine women, returned to the mainstream citing that they were impressed by the state government’s rehabilitation policy and development initiatives, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.
Their decision to quit the path of violence marks another significant step in the state government’s ongoing mission to eradicate Naxalism through peace, dialogue and development, he said.