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'Red corridor' spread due to Congress-Naxal nexus, BJP claims, says influence declined under Modi

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Saturday alleged that Naxal insurgency in India persisted for an extended period and reached alarming proportions largely due to policy paralysis during the second term of the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government. In a series of posts on X, the BJP claimed that then PM Manmohan Singh had described Naxalism as Indias greatest internal threat, yet the UPA had treated extremists as victims instead of confronting them. Congress sheltered sympathisers, blocked anti-Maoist action, and gave political cover that jeopardised Indias safety, it alleged. The BJP accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of fuelling Naxalite sympathies, calling it a threat to national sovereignty. A significant factor behind such a situation was the influence of urban Naxals inducted as members in Sonia Gandhi-led erstwhile National Advisory Council (NAC), it charged. Asserting that there is a significant decline in Naxal influence under Prime Minister Narendra Modis government, the BJP alleged that Naxalite apologists continue to remain entrenched in the Congress leadership. The Red corridor didnt emerge overnight it was allowed to spread under the #CongressNaxalNexus, and emboldened during the years when India needed a spine of steel, the BP said, adding that countless brave personnel were ambushed from Chhattisgarh to Odisha, Maharashtra to Jharkhand. There was no immediate reaction from the Congress to the BJPs charge. The BJP said that PM Modi empowered the home ministry to pursue a decisive strategy against the menace. The influence of Naxalism has witnessed a significant decline since its peak in the late 2000s, when it impacted 180 districts across India. By 2024, this number reduced to just 38 districts, predominantly concentrated within the Red corridor in states, such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Bihar, it added. Recently, security forces neutralised Madvi Hidma, one of the countrys most wanted Maoist commanders, the party said. Naxal-hit dists down The influence of Naxalism has witnessed a decline since its peak in the late 2000s, when it impacted 180 districts across India.