Chhattisgarh: Amit Shah Reiterates to End Naxalism by March 2026

 Raipur: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday reiterated his assertion that Naxalism would be wiped out in the country by the end of March 2026.

Addressing the closing ceremony of Bastar Olympics 2024, the first of its kind sports event organized in the Naxal-infested region, in Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar, in Chhattisgarh, Mr Shah said that both the state government and the Centre were committed to eradicating Maoist menace in the country by March 2026.

“If Chhattisgarh is free of Naxals, then the country will also be free of Naxals. There is no doubt that Chhattisgarh will eradicate Maoist menace completely (by March 2026)”, Mr Shah, who arrived here on Saturday night on a three-day visit to the state, said.

Mr Shah is scheduled to spend two days in Bastar to take stock of Leftwing extremism situation in the region, besides interacting with the security forces engaged in counterinsurgency.

He described the successful conduct of the sports event, the Bastar Olympics 2024, in which tribal women, children, youth, elderly persons and even the surrendered Maoists had participated in large numbers as the beginning of the process of the normalization in the region.

“The successful conduct of Bastar Olympics 2024 has signaled that Bastar is changing. I will declare that Bastar has already changed when I inaugurate Bastar Olympics 2026”, he asserted.

Mr Shah said that the counterinsurgency measures being undertaken in Bastar in the last one year had dealt severe blow to the Leftwing extremism in the region.

As many as 287 Maoists were killed, 992 Naxals arrested and 833 ultras have surrendered in Bastar in the last one year.

Maoists have now two options left with them, either to surrender or be dealt with severely by security forces, he said.

Exhorting the ultras to lay down their arms and join the mainstream, he said that “I assure the Maoists that their rehabilitation in society is our responsibility when they surrender”.

The closing ceremony of the Bastar Olympics 2024 was marked by the wheelchair race by the victims of the Naxal violence which rendered them incapacitated.

Earlier in the morning, Mr Shah presented the prestigious “President’s Colour” to the Chhattisgarh police here.

In his address on the occasion, Mr Shah lauded the Chhattisgarh police as one of the finest forces in the country.

“Receiving the ‘President’s Colour’ during its silver jubilee year (Chhattisgarh was formed on November one, 2,000) is a testament to the forces’ relentless hard work, commitment, bravery, and deep connection with the public”, Mr Shah said.

Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai was present on both the occasions.