Centre bans CPI (Maoist)

New Delhi June 22(ANI): The Union Government has decided to ban the Communist Party of India (Maoist), calling it as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activity (Prevention) Act 1967.

The Home Ministry in this regard issued the notification after a high level meeting.

The Maoist organisation is banned by many states including Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh, and today's decision of the centre overrides the West Bengal government's decision not to ban the CPI-Maoist.

The two main groups of the Maoist guerilla the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and CPI (ML- People's War) merged in September 2004 to form CPI (Maoist) under the leadership of M Lakshman Rao alias Ganapati.

The Naxals made their presence felt in strategic locations like Dandakaranya, parts of Vindhyas and Western Ghats from West Bengal to Karnataka calling it as a "Red Corridor."According to sources there are nearly 20,000-armed guerillas present in this 92,000 sq Kilometre stretch.

The ultra left outfit, which is the largest Naxal group has been listed along with thirty four other organisations including Lashker-e -Toiba,(LeT) and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as the terrorist organisation.

Reacting to the Government's decision to ban Naxals the CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat, said the Maoist problem has to be considered not only as a security problem but also a political problem, and the issue should be resolved politically and not by listing them as terrorist outfits. isapproving the Center's decision, senior CPM leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, declaring them, as illegal government couldn't fight the Maoist organisations, it has to be fought politically. (ANI)