Lay down weapons or face action, Shah tells Maoists
Union Home Minister Amit Shah aims to eradicate Left Wing Extremism by March 2026, urging Maoists to surrender as security forces gain ground in Chhattisgarh.
The central government is committed to completely eliminate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from the country by March 31, 2026, Union home minister Amit Shah asserted on Friday, as he urged Maoists to give up violence, lay down arms and surrender.
Shah, who met 55 victims of Maoist violence from Chhattisgarh at his residence, said security forces have achieved significant success in their operations against Maoists as the problem is now confined to just a few districts of Chhattisgarh.
“There was a time Naxals were spread everywhere and believed they would have a red corridor from Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) to Pashupatinath (Nepal). Today, their influence is just limited to four districts of Chhattisgarh,” Shah said.
“The central government is committed to completely eliminate Naxalism by March 2026. On that day, Naxals will be given their aakhri Salam (last salute). I promise you that Naxal menace will end before that,” Shah told the visiting members of the Bastar Peace Committee (BPC).
He called LWE a threat to both humanity and the internal security of the country. Shah also urged Maoists to surrender and join mainstream, asserting the Centre has started work to root out LWE.
“I appeal to Naxals to give up violence, lay down arms and surrender as the militants in the northeast have done. If you do not listen, then an all-out operation will be carried out soon to end the menace,” Shah said.
As a final offer for Maoists to surrender, the BJP-led Chhattisgarh government is also coming up with a new surrender policy, details of which are yet to be declared.
Over the last one year, the Centre has launched a crackdown on LWE by taking over areas controlled by Maoists for decades in Bastar region. It has led to a record number of Maoists laying down their arms before the security forces.
Since December 2023, there has been a clear uptick in aggression from security personnel, who have created 17 new forward camps in what were thus far thought to be core Maoist-controlled areas. Forces have killed at least 155 Maoists in 92 separate gunfights in Chhattisgarh this year. During the period, 669 Maoists have been arrested and 656 have surrendered, according to the state police. The Maoists have killed 15 personnel and 34 civilians in the same period.
The 55 LWE-affected residents of Chhattisgarh have sought time with the President of India on Saturday. Jai Ram Das, a member of the BPC, said, “The victims are currently interacting with people at JNU and will return on Sunday. The Union home minister said that though his house had received many VIPs till date, he was honoured to host the LWE victims. He also told us later that he would visit the state in October and meet other families.”