Home Ministry orders CRPF redeployment from J&K to Maoist-hit states

New Delhi, Sep 24: The Union home ministry has directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to withdraw several battalions from Jammu and Kashmir and redeploy them to Maoist-affected states for a major coordinated offensive, The Telegraph online reported, quoting official sources.

According to the report, battalions that were recently deployed for the Amarnath Yatra will now be shifted to Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand as part of a “unified and combined” anti-Naxal operation.

“The additional battalions will help in launching coordinated offensives in Maoist-affected states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. We need more forces on the ground to pursue and challenge Maoists if they cross a state border during the operation,” a home ministry official told the newspaper. A senior CRPF officer added that the strategy involves cornering Maoist cadres inside the forests of Chhattisgarh to prevent them from escaping into neighbouring states such as Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.