‘Will free India from Naxal violence by March 2026’: Amit Shah in Chhattisgarh

Union home minister Amit Shah said a “strong, ruthless strategy is required for launching last assault against Naxals”.

Updated on: Aug 24, 2024, 19:22:05 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Aryan Prakash

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Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government "will free India from Naxal violence by March 2026”.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a meeting of the Inter-State Coordination Committee of Naxal-affected states. (PTI)

“The time has come for the final assault on Left Wing Extremism," Shah said at a press conference after chairing a key security meet on anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh.

“We believe that Naxalism is the biggest challenge for the democratic system in our nation. In the last four decades, 17,000 people lost their lives because of Naxalism. Since PM Modi-led BJP came to power at the Centre, we have accepted this as a challenge and tried to bring those who have weapons in the hands (Naxalites) into the mainstream,” Shah said at the briefing.

“100% saturation of Central govt and Chhattisgarh govt's schemes in the naxal affected areas, the progress of infrastructure projects in such areas and to remove the challenges faced during such projects, this meeting was for that," he added.

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“We have neutralised Naxal leaders, and have worked with two objectives - first was to establish Rule of Law in Naxal-affected areas and the second was to develop such areas,” the minister said.

142 Naxals eliminated by security forces this year

The meeting in Raipur was attended by Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, deputy CM Vijay Sharma, Union MoS home Nityanand Rai, Union secretary Govind Mohan and Intelligence Bureau director Tapan Deka.

The chief secretaries and police chiefs of affected states, and director generals of police of central paramilitary forces, among other senior officers from the security establishment, were also present.

Anti-Naxalite operations have intensified in Chhattisgarh since the BJP came to power in last year's assembly elections. As many as 142 Naxalites have been killed by security forces so far this year, PTI reported.

(With agency inputs)

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