Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday termed the surrender of senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi and 60 other cadres as the "beginning of the end of the Naxal movement" in the state.
He also urged the remaining Maoist cadres to surrender before the government.
The CM was speaking in Gadchiroli after presenting the surrendered Naxalites a copy of the Indian Constitution.
#WATCH | Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: Naxal Commander Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati, surrenders in front of CM Devendra Fadnavis at the Gadchiroli Police Police Headquarters. Around 60 Naxalites surrendered today.
Naxal Commander Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati gave a… pic.twitter.com/stBiJWEJvd
— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2025
Bhupati, a spokesperson of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its Central Committee member, carried a bounty of Rs 6 crore. He was considered one of the most influential strategists in the Maoist organisation and had long supervised platoon operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.
“North Gadchiroli is now completely Naxal-free, and South Gadchiroli will follow soon. This is not just a surrender; it's the end of an era of terror,” Fadnavis said.
#WATCH | Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: Naxalites surrender in front of CM Devendra Fadnavis at the Gadchiroli Police Police Headquarters. Around 60 surrendered today, including Naxal Commander Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupati surrendered today. pic.twitter.com/DoZucnsWGH
— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2025
The chief minister also hailed the sustained operations by the security forces, which led to the neutralisation of 24 Maoists and the surrender of 19 in 2024.
Appealing to the remaining Maoist cadres to surrender, Fadnavis said: “The government welcomes you with open arms and rehabilitation. Maharashtra stands with you for a Naxal-free future by 2026."
Fadnavis noted that the Gadchiroli district had witnessed Maoist violence for the last 40 years and was far from development. However, Maoists are now disillusioned after realising the false promises of their movement, he added.
“Today, they hold the Constitution in their hands, not guns. This is the real victory, peace through conviction. It is a big thing in the history of the country. Bhupathi's surrender is the beginning of the end of the Naxal movement in Maharashtra,” said the chief minister. |
