Hyderabad: The Congress government in Telangana is considering a fresh strategy to deal with the ongoing Maoist (Naxal) issue. Inspired by past efforts under former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, the party may revive the approach of engaging in peace talks instead of relying purely on force.
On Monday, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met with K Jana Reddy, who served as Home Minister during the YSR government in united Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister asked for a detailed account of how peace talks were conducted with the Naxals back in 2004.
Jana Reddy shared insights from that time, explaining how the Congress government opened a dialogue with Maoist groups and encouraged many young people to leave the extremist path. The focus then was on peaceful resolution rather than violent crackdowns.
CM Revanth Reddy said the state government would first finalize a clear policy on the Naxal issue before taking any major steps. This move comes after the Peace Committee urged the Chief Minister to stop Operation Kagar, a central government operation aimed at eliminating Maoists across the country.
The Chief Minister is now working on shaping both the Congress party’s stance and the state’s official position on how to move forward. He confirmed that a nationwide discussion is needed around Operation Kagar, especially after recent incidents involving the killing of Maoists by central forces at the Telangana–Chhattisgarh border. These events have sparked widespread criticism.
The government is also considering setting up a state-level Peace Committee to explore the possibility of holding direct talks with the Maoists. The CM acknowledged that extremist groups had recently expressed interest in dialogue, but violent operations continued.
Leaders close to the discussion said that Revanth Reddy plans to submit a report to the Congress high command. This report will include suggestions from both Jana Reddy and senior leader K Kesava Rao, outlining a potential roadmap for peace talks with the Maoists in Telangana.
