Centre declares Maoists a terrorist organization

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday banned the CPI (Maoist) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, calling it a terrorist organization. Home ministry sources said the decision was taken at a high-level meeting.

"The decision has been taken to ban CPI (Maoist) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as a terrorist organisation," they said.

CPI (Maoist), which is the main Naxal group in the country, has been bracketed with 34 other organizations including LeT and SIMI who are in the list of banned outfits.

West Bengal's ruling Left Front on Monday said it was against banning the CPI (Maoist) and will counter such outfits politically, days after chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee stated that his government will give a serious thought to proscribing the Naxals.

"We have decided that such outfits, which follow misguided politics, cannot be countered by banning them. It is important to counter the activities of these outfits politically," Left Front chairman Biman Bose said.