(MENAFN- Live Mint) Senior CPI (Maoist) leader and Politburo member Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Sonu, on Wednesday surrendered along with 60 other Naxalites at the Gadchiroli police headquarters. The surrender took place in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The group laid down arms in Gadchiroli , Maharashtra , in what is seen as a potential turning point for peace talks with the Central government. Venugopal Rao asked for a one-month window to consult with party members before beginning formal peace negotiations and appealed to the government to halt armed operations during this period.

This development comes amid sustained anti-Maoist operations spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and various state governments. In September, Venugopal Rao had expressed his willingness to surrender, reportedly garnering support from a substantial number of Maoist cadres in Chhattisgarh and other regions across India.

What did Mallojula Venugopal Rao say?

Venugopal Rao said,“I am laying down the weapons and will become a part of movements for providing relief for the oppressed in India. Since the last week of March 2025, our party has been engaged in peace talks with the government. The party's chief secretary issued a press statement in May, which kept an offer of a ceasefire while asking for a month's time to deliberate on laying down the weapons. Unfortunately, the Central governmen did not give their reply on it; rather, they have increased the intensity of their attacks.”

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Rao highlighted that, in response to the CPI (Maoist) Chief Secretary's appeal for peace, they were prepared to engage in talks with the government.

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"On May 21, in an attack by the Seema Surakhsha Bal, our Chief Secretary, comrade Basavraju, along with staff and guards, were killed. We took this decision not to leave his call for peace talks in the middle. Amid the ongoing mission by the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the police, we have decided to lay down our weapons and be part of the mainstream. We are ready for talks with the people appointed by the Union Home Minister. We will form a delegation among the people agreeing to our decision and participate in the peace talks," he said.

Rao added, "We ask for one month from the Centre to hold discussions with our comrades in several states, and also those in jails. We are also ready to hold talks via video calls. This will depend on the one month's time you grant by putting a stop to the bloodshed in the jungles. Our party, leftist organisations, and sympathisers can send us their views, and we will consider them."

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