Warning that serious challenges posed by Naxal violence, cross-border terrorism and religious fundamentalism continue to persist, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said there is need for greater coordination and responses from the states to effectively deal with them.
'I wonder how people who come to power through democratic means turn out this way.' 'But people of India are strong, and those who think they can hoodwink people, are mistaken.' 'You can fool some people for some time, but not all people, all the time.'
The clearance to raise the 10,000-strong Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), under the command and control of the Central Reserve Police Force, was given last evening by the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by the prime minister.
Jailed Naxal leader Kobad Ghandy, who was arrested for setting up a base of banned CPI-Maoist in the national capital, on Thursday sought bail from the Delhi high court on the ground that he has already been granted the relief by Andhra Pradesh high court in a case.
In a fresh strategy to combat the Naxal menace, the government on Wednesday asked Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal to create a unified command for anti-Maoist operations and to appoint a retired major general of the army as its member.
Seven policemen were on Saturday killed and 10 persons were injured in a gunbattle with Naxals in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh.
The Delhi high court on Monday asked the Centre to file reply on a plea seeking linking of immovable and movable property documents of citizens with their Aadhaar numbers to curb corruption, black money generation, and benami transactions.
Almost seven such "Malinois" breed dogs have been trained by the premier police dog training centre of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) at their academy near Chandigarh for about 22 weeks.
Seeking the cooperation of States in dealing with Left-wing extremism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday asked the Planning Commission to design a holistic development programme for Naxal-affected areas.
The anti-Naxal strategy, including the possibility of involving armed forces, is expected to top the agenda of the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
The VHP leaders presented a memorandum to the President, seeking an immediate ban on the conversion activities of Christian missionaries and foreign funds to these organisations. They also demanded a thorough scrutiny of the accounts of these Christian missionaries and urged the President to ensure that no foreigner is allowed to practice religious conversion in the country.
"I am totally opposed to army being moved against Naxal elements," Defence Minister AK Antony said, adding, "Army cannot be used against everything... the forces are already coming in aid of civil authorities."
The UP police said the arrests were made following an operation based on a tip off received in the aftermath of the Dantewada massacre, in which 76 security personnel were killed by the Naxals.
Clarifying his stand on skipping Tuesday's meeting convened by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to help the four Naxal-affected states of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand counter the Naxal problem, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he had prior commitments and was not informed about the meeting in advance.
A woman self-styled Maoist commander on Friday surrendered before the police in West Midnapore district alleging sexual exploitation by ultra leaders.
The Indian Air Force can fire in self-defence if its helicopters engaged on logistical missions in Maoist-infested areas are attacked, said a well placed source. The IAF has deployed its special Garuda helicopter force to counter attacks while operating in Naxal dominated areas even as the debate rages on the deployment of the armed forces in anti-Maoist operations.
"The two LeT operatives had reportedly attended the meeting as observers at a forested location inside Orissa, close to Chhattisgarh's Bastar region," Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan said.
The survey will benefit a population of at least 35,000, mainly tribals, to get patta (title deed) for the land they were possessing.
A change in Maoist strategy by targetting vital installations like high tension transmission lines has added to the woes of Bastar tribals, who were trapped in the hostilities between the ultras and the security forces.
A Naxal woman, carrying a reward of more than Rs one lakh on her head, was on Sunday arrested from Lanji area in Balaghat district, close to the Chhattisgarh border, said the police. Jhinia Pusam, 32, was wanted for the 1999 murder of former Madhya Pradesh transport minister Lakhiram Kaware in MP's Balaghat district, police said. She is wanted in more than 45 cases including those of murder, arson and looting in MP.
In the wake of repeated attacks by Maoists on the Central Reserve Police Force, the government is working out a plan for the redeployment of paramilitary forces engaged in anti-Naxal operations in states.
Naxals on Tuesday burnt down five vehicles engaged in iron ore mining in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, police said.
The RTI query revealed that 3,125 security personnel, too, lost their lives tackling the Naxal menace.
With the Centre approving a home ministry offensive against the Maoists, Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said the Indian Air Force too was all set to get permission to open fire in self-defence during anti-Naxal operations after laying down safeguards and procedures.
A public interest litigation was filed in the Delhi high court on Monday against permission to exchange Rs 2000 banknotes without obtaining any requisition slip and identity proof.
Bracing to tackle the deadly Malarial parasite which has claimed the lives of a number of CRPF jawans, the force has begun dispatching consignments of medicines and repellents to its troops deployed for anti-Naxal operations in various states.
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