Rajnath Singh appreciates Bihar government for curbing Naxalism

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today lauded the efforts of Nitish Kumar government in tackling Naxalism in Bihar, saying the number of Maoists incidents in the state has come down to less than half since 2013.

"I don't want to talk about the situation of Naxalism in other states, but I would like to mention the situation of Naxalism in Bihar. The number of Naxal incidents has come down to less than half here since 2013," Rajnath Singh said.

"I would like to thank CM Nitish Kumar, Dy CM Sushil Modi and police and para military forces for this (achievement)," he added.

For curbing Naxalism in the state , the Nitish Kumar government came in for the fulsome praise by the Union Home Minister during a function on the occasion of inauguration of ITBP's 6th battalion's buildings here.

The number of death has come down to one third of what it used to be in the past due to Naxal attacks, the minister said adding the confidence of Naxalites too has been shattered.

The Home Minister also made an appeal to the poor of the country to be at guard against the Naxals' design to win their sympathies.

"I would like to appeal to the poor of the country and as well as those of Bihar that the Naxal leaders want them to remain poor whereas their (Naxalites') own children study in prominent colleges and universities and some of them even study abroad. The Naxalites leaders have become crorepatis," Singh said.

"There are elements who want to break the social harmony and try to create hatred in the country. I would like to especially appeal to the youths to fight and oppose such elements firmly," he said.

Both the Centre and the state governments are working for the development of backward regions, he said and appreciated Bihar government for posting a resounding 10 per cent plus growth rate.

Singh said "Bihar's growth rate has increased tremendously during the NDA government. The state has clocked a growth rate of 10.3 per cent which has happened for the first time whereas the national growth stands at 7.3 per cent. Both Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi deserve praise for this."

Singh also termed as "historic" the Nitish government's step of enforcing complete prohibition in the state and said the decision had been taken for a better future of the state and its people.

"As a home minister of the country, I can say that the crime rate has gone down in Bihar after the enforcement of prohibition as compared to earlier (period)," Singh said adding that even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appreciated the prohibition in the state during the recent celebrations of Champaran stayagrah in Bihar.

Prominent among those who were present on the occasion included Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Dy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and MPs Janardan Singh Sigriwal and Rajiv Pratap Rudy among others.