The time has come to deal a “ruthless final blow” to left-wing extremism and liberate the country from this scourge by March 2026, Union home minister Amit Shah said in Raipur.
Shah, who arrived here on a two-day tour to review security operations and development strategy in Maoist-affected states, said: “Between 2019 and 2024, many states have been liberated of the LWE (left wing extremism) tag - Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and, to an extent Maharashtra. Only one district in Maharashtra is still affected. This is a massive achievement for the Govt of India.”
He said it was “particularly satisfying” to see Chhattisgarh home minister Vijay Sharma visiting Maoist commander Hidma’s village Puwarti in Sukma district and distributing Aadhaar cards and Ayushman Bharat cards to villagers.
Due to PM Modi’s strategy, people in MP’s Chandameta village and six villages in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma could vote in the elections for the first time in 40 years, he said. “This is a victory for security forces and for democracy. Today, central forces are not only fighting Maoists but also monitoring development activities,” Shah added.
He said that 189 Maoists have been “neutralised” in Chhattisgarh, which accounts for 90% of LWE-affected area, this year from January till date, adding that the setting up of police camps in areas where Maoists are still active helped fill the security vacuum.
Chhattisgarh is the best performing state in tackling Maoists this year, he said while praising CM Vishnudeo Sai and his deputies Vijay Sharma and Arun Sao. As many as 559 Maoists have been arrested this year so far while 540 surrendered. He said that 47 special forces camps have been set up and 16 more will be set up in the coming months.
Contrasting the Sai regime’s performance with the preceding Congress govt’s record in handling the Maoists, Shah said against 189 killings of Maoists in a span of less than eight months during the BJP govt, only 219 Naxals were killed during the five-year term of Bhupesh Baghel govt. Shah urged Maoists to take up the “new-look surrender policy” that will be unveiled by Chhattisgarh govt in one or two months.
The DGPs and chief secretaries of all states that share a border with Chhattisgarh are attending the review meeting with the home minister.
