Raipur: Naxals are today a house divided. Some of them have strongly opposed the murder of Doordarshan journalist Achyutanand Sahu last week. Sources have confirmed that 62 naxals who surrendered on Tuesday were from the group that was against targeting journalists and officers doing their duty in Chhattisgarh.

“Within the naxal camp in Chhattisgarh, there is rift. One group was opposed to attacks on journalists. They didn’t want to carry out any attack during election time as various officers and journalists roam with security forces in the area. Another group wanted to deliberately target officers and journalists gathered in areas like Bastar, Dantewada, Sukma etc,” a senior officer of Chhattisgarh police said.

“62 naxals who have surrendered were not in favour of targeting any outsider but, after the incident, they decided to surrender,” the officer said.

According to the IG – Bastar Vivekanand Sinha, these surrendered naxals were operating in the area for the last seven years. “These 62 naxals were working against the nation for the last 7 years. Weapons have been seized from them. We will plan public-oriented activities from local areas where they hail from,” Sinha told MyNation.

According to the police, all the 62 surrendered Maoists were active members of the Tumeradi Jantana Sarkar outfit under the Kutul area committee of Maoists.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh.

“I congratulate the State Chief Minister @drramansingh the DGP and the police force for this huge achievement," he tweeted.

The surrendered naxals were involved in various violent incidents in the region in the past couple of years, including IED blasts, dropping of pamphlets (which appeal for a boycott of elections and development works in the region) and other crimes.

Meanwhile, police have appreciated the cadres’ decision to surrender to encourage others to quit the path of violence. As per the policy of the state government, necessary assistance will be provided to them, said the police.