Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathi, a top Naxalite who surrendered to Gadchiroli police on October 14, 2025, has called on his former comrades to abandon the "failed path" of armed struggle. He urged them to lay down their arms and join the mainstream society to work amongst the people.
Bhupathi's video appeal was included in a press release issued by Gadchiroli police. In the video, Bhupathi shared his and fellow surrendered Naxal Rupesh's mobile phone numbers, encouraging members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) to contact them if they wished to leave the movement.
Bhupathi, a Polit Bureau and Central Committee member, Secretary of the Central Regional Bureau, and spokesperson for the CPI (Maoist), stated that comrades engaged in armed struggle for power and land must realize that their actions have alienated them from the people, demonstrating the "failure of the path". He asserted that active Maoists should renounce violence, surrender, join the mainstream, and work within the law.
Bhupathi accused the Central Committee of the proscribed organization of adopting a "hardened approach" by refusing to abandon armed struggle despite recognizing the changing circumstances. He dismissed claims that he and other surrendered Naxalites are "traitors" as misinformation. Bhupathi noted that Rupesh, another Central Committee member who surrendered in Chhattisgarh last month, had already thoroughly explained the reasons for surrendering, so he would not elaborate further.
The surrendered leader insisted that the situation has evolved, and Maoists must leave the armed movement and operate within the bounds of the law. He appealed to intellectuals, democracy advocates, and tribal benefactors to understand and support their decision. He also encouraged those who want to lay down arms and work among the people to contact him and Rupesh.
Bhupathi, also known as Sonu, Sonu Dada, Venugopal, Abhay, Master, Vivek, or Venu, was a key ideologue and strategist, who surrendered along with approximately 60 commanders and cadres. The 69-year-old had been a prominent figure in the Naxal movement for nearly four decades and carried a reward of over Rs 6 crore on his head.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed Bhupathi's surrender as the "beginning of the end of the Naxal movement" in Maharashtra. He said that the central government, led by Narendra Modi, has ensured that administration and development reach the most marginalized in society, leaving Naxalites with the choice to surrender and join the mainstream or face the consequences. Fadnavis also expressed confidence that the entire 'red corridor' in Chhattisgarh and Telangana would soon be free from Naxalism.
CM Fadnavis assured that those who surrender would be rehabilitated with dignity. He highlighted plans to create local employment opportunities, aiming to employ one lakh "sons of the soil" in Gadchiroli, which is becoming a steel hub, within the next five to seven years.
Gadchiroli district has faced over 40 years of Maoist violence and has remained underdeveloped. The Chief Minister urged remaining Naxalites to surrender voluntarily, warning that those who continue armed activities would face consequences. Police officials have described the surrender as a major victory for security forces and a significant step towards eradicating Naxal influence, aligning with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's goal of completely eliminating Naxalism by March 31, 2026.
Bhupathi's surrender follows the surrender of his wife, Vimala Chandra Sidam alias Tarakka, a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, on January 1, 2025. His brother, Mallojula Koteswara Rao aka Kishenji, was killed by security forces in West Bengal in 2011.
