Operation Kagar: Political tightrope in India's largest anti-naxal campaign

Mission Sankalp, part of the unprecedented Operation Kagar in the Karregutta Hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, has emerged as India’s most extensive counter-insurgency effort against Maoist rebels. Launched on April 21, 2025, the operation has placed Telangana’s Congress government in a precarious political position while advancing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ambitious deadline to make India “Naxal-free” by March 2026.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy now faces a complex dilemma. Having won power in December 2023 on progressive promises, his administration now navigates between supporting the BJP-led central government’s security initiative and maintaining its commitment to social justice and tribal rights.

When confronted by a Peace Talks Committee comprising prominent civil rights activists on April 29, urging him to convince the Centre for a ceasefire, Revanth Reddy maintained a diplomatic stance. The memorandum submitted by the Peace Committee to the Telangana chief minister flagged ongoing violence in Karregutta Hills and highlighted that Adivasis, police personnel, and members of armed groups were losing their lives.

Jampana, the Committee’s Vice Chairman and a surrendered Maoist, told media persons after the meeting with the chief minister that the state government need not necessarily toe the Centre’s line on the issue.

“The Naxal issue is multifaceted and requires careful consideration from social, economic, and security perspectives,” Revanth Reddy stated after the three-hour closed-door meeting. While acknowledging the committee’s peace overtures, he stressed the need for central coordination while adding that the Naxal movement originated from socio-economic disparities affecting tribal communities.

This measured approach contrasts sharply with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao condemned Operation Kagar as ‘state-sponsored violence’ during a May 2 public meeting, claiming 23 innocent tribal villagers had been caught in the crossfire. Rao demanded immediate cessation of the operation and called for parliamentary oversight.

The operation represents unprecedented interstate coordination, deploying approximately 24,000 personnel across an 800-square-kilometre area. The anti-Naxal operation in the Karregutta hills, spanning the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, represents one of India’s most extensive counter-insurgency efforts to date. Launched on April 21, 2025, and codenamed Mission Sankalp, the operation aims to dismantle entrenched Maoist strongholds in this strategically significant and rugged terrain.

Approximately 24,000 personnel have been deployed from various units, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite CoBRA battalion, the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and state police forces from Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The operation covers an expansive area of about 800 sq km.

A 5,000-foot hill along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, once a hub for Maoists, was reclaimed by security forces after nine days of intense operations. This rugged terrain in dense forest is believed to be a hideout of high-ranking Maoist leaders, including Central Committee members Pulluri Prasad Rao alias Chandranna and Sujata, People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PGLA) chief Barse Deva, commander-in-chief for military operations in South Bastar, Madvi Hidma, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member, Sannu, and Damodar from the Telangana State Committee.

While Telangana adopts a cautious stance, Chhattisgarh’s BJP government under Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has embraced a more hardline position.

“There will be no compromise with those who challenge the State’s authority through violence,” Sai declared on May 3 during his visit to security forces in Bijapur. Chhattisgarh has deployed additional
police battalions and established specialised rapid response teams along the border, demonstrating its unequi-
vocal commitment.

Operation Kagar serves as the centrepiece of Amit Shah’s roadmap to eliminate left-wing extremism by March 2026. In January 2025, Shah circulated a strategy document titled Decisive Decade: Ending Left Wing Extremism to affected states, outlining a three-pronged approach: intensified security operations, accelerated development initiatives, and strategic surrender-rehabilitation programmes.

“Operation Kagar represents our unwavering commitment to free India from the menace of left-wing extremism once and for all,” Amit Shah declared during an April 25 review meeting in New Delhi.

Anti-Naxal operations have intensified since the BJP came to power in Chhattisgarh in 2023. Reports indicate that
security forces have killed more than
350 Naxalites in encounters since January 2024, while approximately 300
have surrendered.

For Telangana’s Congress government, the stakes are high. Success could enhance its security credentials and attract central development funding. Failure or humanitarian controversies could damage its standing with key constituencies, particularly tribal communities.

As Revanth Reddy walks this tightrope between security imperatives and social justice commitments, his administration’s handling of Operation Kagar will likely define its governance legacy.