"Left Wing Extremism" related violence drops 81 per cent since 2010: MoS Home Nityanand Rai tells Lok Sabha

New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): Union Minister of State (MoS) Home Nityanand Rai on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply about decline in violence perpetrated by "left wing extremists," saying that violence incidents and resultant deaths of civilians and security forces, have come down from high of 2010 by 81 per cent and 85 per cent, respectively, in 2024.
"The LWE-related violence incidents and resultant deaths of civilians & Security Forces, have come down from the high of 2010 by 81 per cent and 85 per cent respectively in 2024," MoS Home Rai said in a written reply.
Responding to queries raised by Congress MP Kalyan Vaijinathrao Kale regarding the government's efforts to curb the Naxal activity and providing safety in Maoist-affected areas, Rai highlighted the decline in the left-wing extremism (LWE) related violence in Tribal areas, given the resolute implementation of the National Policy and Action Plan 2015.
"The resolute implementation of the National Policy and Action Plan 2015 has resulted in a consistent decline in violence and contraction of geographical spread. LWE, which has been a serious challenge to the internal security of the nation, has been significantly curbed in recent times and has been constricted to only a few pockets. There has also been a sharp decline in LWE-affected districts from 126 in 2013 to 18 districts in April 2025," MoS Home Rai said.
He said that it has been the "Tribal" who have borne the brunt of the violence while claiming that they are killed and tortured after being branded as "police informers".
"The poor and marginalised sections of the society, especially the tribals, have borne the brunt of this violence, as the majority of civilians killed by Left Wing Extremists are tribals, often branded as 'Police Informers' before being brutally tortured and killed," the MoS Home said.
Pointing out the irony of the Naxalbari movement, Rai claimed that Tribals have been the "biggest victims" of the people's war declared by the Maoists against the Indian state.
He said that the areas affected by LWE have been "marred by dual challenges of a vicious circle of backwardness and the security concerns arising out of LWE influence."
"Ironically, it is the same tribals and the economically underprivileged sections, whose cause the Maoists claim to espouse, have been the biggest victims of the so-called 'protected peoples war' of the Left Wing Extremists against the Indian State. Poverty, low levels of literacy, poor health standards, lack of infrastructure and connectivity are all manifestations of LWE violence," the MoS Home said in a written reply. (ANI)