Twelve persons of a marriage party, including four women, were killed when Naxalites triggered a landmine blast on Tuesday at Halewara near Kasansur forest in Gadchiroli district of south-eastern Maharashtra, police said.\n\n
Addressing a massive public rally to celebrate the signing of the accord on January 27 that is expected to bring lasting peace to the troubled state, Modi said now the time was to work together for peace and development of the North-East.
The naxals also blew up the communication tower, cutting off the link between Jashpur district, which borders Jharkhand, and other areas.
Police claimed to have killed "five or six" naxalites, including a deputy commander, in an encounter in Gadchiroli district and recovered from their possession arms, ammunition and naxal literature.
Hercules Singh Munda's father used to open the gates to a forest. Today, Hercules leaves for London to open the gates of his many dreams.
The government intends to discuss socio-economic issues, land distribution, women's empowerment, employment, education, globalisation, creation of small states, problems of SC/STs with the Naxalites.
The police believe it was left behind by Maoists on Sunday night.
The increase in the frequency of attacks by naxalites on the police and civilians in Vidarbha has law enforcement agencies worried.
Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel opened fire Tuesday evening after some people threw a rope across the wall of a subjail in Jehanabad, which was the target of a naxalite attack in November 2005, official sources said.
Ever since the Salwa Judum or peace campaign against the Naxalites started on June 4 last year, over 300 villagers have been killed by Maoists.
12 Naxalite-hit districts will be voting.
Chief ministers of Naxal-affected states met with Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
76 districts in nine states are affected by Naxal violence.
In the wake of Saturday's attack on security forces, the state considers a ban on naxal outfits
The Bharatiya Janata Party's carping ally said the police assertion about security threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maoists was just a 'conspiracy theory'.
However, the magnitude of the Naxalite offensive came as a surprise.
The naxalites, said to be numbering 150, laid an ambush for a truck carrying an unspecified number of police and Provincial Armed Constabulary jawans on combing duty and blew it up, police sources said.
'Naxals, when they encountered our commandos on Sunday morning, fired first.' 'We gave them warnings to surrender, but they continued firing.' 'Ultimately, our commandos responded in self-defence and that resulted in the death of 37 Naxals.'
The Bihar government sought permission of the Union home ministry to use 24 companies of Central Para-Military Force deployed for anti-naxalite operations, for law and order duty.
Veteran Bollywood actor Om Puri, who drew flak for his controversial comments against parliamentarians, landed himself in another row by calling Naxals "fighters not terrorists".
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If the Congress recovers some of its earlier influence among the Dalits, the BJP will be in a quandary since the Dalits were among the party's latest acquisitions. To lose them will be a disaster for the saffron camp not only in UP, but all over India, observes Amulya Ganguli.
Jaipal Yadav, who represents Kalwakurthy constituency, was returning after attending a meeting at Madugula village when the attack took place, police said.
President Abdul Kalam and Union Home Minister L K Advani will call on him on Friday.
Assessment by security forces suggests the Naxals had reached Sukma in small batches from different states to carry out the attack, reports Gyan Varma
One cop from the Gidham police station, in Dantewada district, was killed and another abducted in the incident.
The State's ambiguity has resulted in a stalemate in the crucial fight against the creeping progress of the Naxalite movement in the country, notes Nitin A Gokhale.
