Rajnath praises Odisha police for anti-Maoist operations

Bhubaneswar:  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh lavished praise on Odisha Police for its efforts to curb the Maoist menace faced by the State and assured that the Centre would provide all necessary assistance to the state to eradicate the threat of left-wing terrorism.

The appreciation came a day after seven Maoists were gunned down in separate encounters with security personnel in Odisha’s Kandhamal and Balangir districts.

The Union Home Minister today spoke to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and congratulated Odisha police for stupendous success in anti-Maoist operations, a source at the Chief Minister’s Office informed.

According to Additional Director General of Police (Operations) R.P. Koche, five Maoists were killed during a combing operation at Sudukumpa forest in Kandhamal’s Golanki village and two were killed in Dudkamal village of Balangir district.

Praising the security personnel soon after the encounter, Director General of Police R.P. Sharma described it as a red letter day in the history of Odisha Police.

On May 11, Singh had appreciated the Jharkhand government for its resolve to end the Maoist crisis and assured that the Centre would provide all necessary assistance to the state to eradicate the threat of left-wing terrorism.