New Delhi: In a charged debate during the ongoing Budget Session, Naxal/Maoist violence emerged as a sharp point of contention between the ruling and opposition benches in the Lok Sabha.
BJP MP Sambit Patra invoked former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s words, calling Maoism the “deadliest evil” confronting India. Patra accused the Congress party of romanticising the movement, citing writer Arundhathi Roy’s description of Maoists as “Gandhians with guns”.
He argued that such views reflect a distorted understanding of the threat, recalling the April 2, 2010, massacre in Chhattisgarh where 76 CRPF personnel were killed — the highest single-day casualty for Indian security forces.
“Congress has sinned”, Patra declared, framing the party’s legacy as complicit in undermining national security.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra highlighted government data showing fortified police stations in Maoist-affected areas rising from 66 in 2014 to 586 by December 2025.
She questioned the government’s claims of declining Maoist influence and returning normalcy in Bastar, asking why militarisation continues if peace has indeed been restored.
“If normalcy is restored, why has security been increased?” she pressed, suggesting a contradiction between official rhetoric and ground realities.
Adding to the chorus of criticism, AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the Modi government of injustice towards soldiers.
While discussing the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, Singh lamented that troops safeguarding borders are driven to despair, unable to visit their families when needed.
He cited reports by Murli Manohar Joshi and P. Chidambaram recommending parity in promotions between CRPF and IPS officers, arguing that the government has failed to implement reforms that would boost morale.
While the BJP sought to pin responsibility on Congress-era policies and intellectual sympathies, opposition MPs turned the spotlight on the current government’s militarised approach and neglect of personnel welfare.
The debate revealed not only the enduring shadow of Maoist violence but also the political fault lines over accountability, reform, and the balance between security and normalcy.
(IANS)
