Nearly 8500 armed Naxals in country, Govt tells RS

New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) The Indian government
Wednesday said almost 8,500 armed Naxal cadres were present in
the country and as many as 21 Left Wing Extremist groups were
indulging in acts of violence.
"As per available inputs, the total strength of armed
cadres of Naxalites is around 8,500," Indian Minister of State
for Home Affairs Ajay Maken told the Upper House Rajya Sabha
in a written reply.
Maken also said, "According to intelligence inputs,
there are 21 Left Wing Extremist (LWE) groups indulging in
violence in the country".
There are no inputs to indicate that the LWE groups
are being supported financially by various industrialists.
However, they raise funds from contractors and businessmen by
imposing levies through coercive means, he said in reply to
another question.
Maken said the total number of security personnel
killed by Naxals in the current year, up to July 31, is 218.
This figure includes 75 Central Reserve Police Force
personnel and a state policemen who were killed in an ambush
by the Maoists on April six in Chhattisgarh state's Dantewada
district.
To an another question, Maken said, "there are no
inputs indicating operational link between Maoists of Nepal
and India." PTI NES
KAB