Maoist Naxalism has faded out, and there is no Naxalite threat to targets in the state
Police officials should conduct a review and withdraw gunmen security and weapon licences to ‘small-time’ leaders and save the exchequer
HYDERABAD, JUNE 16, 2026: Close on the heels of DGP CV Anand announcing that the personnel from the elite Greyhounds unit will be scaled down and deployed to other critical police wings due to the eradication of Maoist Naxalites in Telangana state, the government is contemplating withdrawing gunmen security for the VIPs and other elected representatives and weapon licences.
Following the complete elimination of Naxalites in the country in general and Telangana state in particular, the threat perception for the Naxalite targets had declined completely. Due to Naxalite presence, the government had provided gunmen security to various VIPs and elected representatives in the state. Now, the government is planning to withdraw the gunmen security and deploy them in the regular police departments.
Similarly, the government had issued weapon licences to several Naxalite targets during the presence of the Naxalite movement in the state. Now, there are no Naxalites in the state, and it is time to withdraw the weapon licences and surrender all the weapons to the police department.
A senior police official said: “There is no need to provide gunmen security to any of the Naxalite targets or elected representatives or persons who attain various nominated posts in the state as there is no threat perception following the elimination of Naxalites. The police department is also losing huge manpower by deploying several police personnel as gunmen to VIPs even when there is no Naxalite threat to anyone in the state”.
It is surprising to note that the gunmen are provided to local body representatives such as Municipal chairpersons and Mayors, ZP chairpersons and nominated posts. During the peak Naxalite movement, the leaders were scared to utilise police security as they would be exposed. Now, the use of gunmen had become a prestigious issue in society among the elected representatives.
As there is no Naxalite threat to any of the targets in the state, it is time for the police officials to conduct a review meeting on security threats and withdraw the gunmen from the leaders to save the public exchequer and use the same force in other police departments.
Similarly, the police officials can intensify visual policing by deploying the Greyhounds police for foot patrols in urban areas, as the Greyhounds police are known for patrolling in the jungles.
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