Top Maoist Leader Basavaraj Killed in Abujhmad

Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraj, the general secretary and supreme commander of the banned CPI (Maoist), was killed along with at least 26 other Maoists in a major security operation codenamed 'Operation Kagar' in Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmad forests. Basavaraj, a highly elusive strategist with a ₹1.5 crore bounty, was reportedly behind several deadly attacks on security forces and political leaders. The operation involved coordinated efforts by the CRPF, District Reserve Guard, and state police, resulting in the recovery of significant arms and intelligence material. Leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah celebrated the operation, which has left the Maoist movement leaderless for the first time in decades. Analysts suggest the insurgency now faces an existential crisis, with internal divisions over succession and caste representation. The event is seen as a possible turning point in India's fight against Naxalism.