NEW DELHI, Mar 30: The Lok Sabha on Monday held a discussion on efforts to eliminate left-wing extremism, with members debating progress and past strategies to address the issue.
Opening the debate, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde praised the government led by Narendra Modi, along with paramilitary and police forces, for reducing the spread of Naxalism. He said affected regions are witnessing development and the influence of extremism has declined significantly. He also paid tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in anti-Naxal operations.
Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka said previous efforts under the UPA administration included modernization of police forces, creation of the CoBRA unit in 2008, and infrastructure development in affected areas.
BJP MP Sambit Patra criticized the UPA administration, alleging it failed to effectively tackle extremism and referred to major attacks during that period.
TDP MP Byreddy Shabari also blamed earlier policies for the spread of Naxal activities, stating incidents were higher between 2004 and 2014.
Members emphasized the need for sustained security and development measures to completely eliminate left-wing extremism.
