ITBP, CRPF, police stage flag marches to boost confidence in Naxal-hit Rajnandgaon ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 24 : Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Rajnandgaon constituency on April 26, security forces including ITBP, CRPF, and local police on Wednesday conducted a series of flag marches in the Naxal-affected Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki District.
These proactive measures are aimed at instilling confidence among residents and ensure their safety during the electoral process.

Speaking with ANI, S Jayavardhan, District Collector of Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki District said, "Actually, in anticipation of the election of Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency on 26 April 2024, we have conducted flag march and also different SVEEP activities for voters' awareness. We are doing a flag march because we are LWE affected, so to be able to build the confidence of the people. To give support from the administration we do these flag marches. In this context, today this flag march has been conducted at the headquarters".
"This would be our 7th or 8th flag march. We have conducted flag marches in all the clusters and big villages. It has been done under the guidance of the Superintendent of Police. To conclude all these events from tomorrow onwards will be a silent period, that we wanted to conduct in the headquarters also we have done it today in the headquarters," Jayavardhan added.

Yashpal Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki said, "As Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki District is a very sensitive district from Naxalite point of view in which various incidents have been carried out by Naxalites in the past during elections and its borders are also connected with Maharashtra's Gadhchirauli, and Bastar and Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. Flag march has been conducted to give confidence to the people and to make them fearless so that people can exercise their rights to the maximum extent."
Central security forces like ITBP, CRPF, and District Police Force, Chhattisgarh Armed Force, Home Guard Force are included in this flag march, Singh added.
The Naxalites have called for a bandh on 25 April to thwart this. So, to give confidence to the people, this flag march is being carried out in the streets and areas of the city and as a confidence-building measure, flag marches are being carried out in all the police stations of the district, Singh said.