Naxalism at the verge of elimination, Amit Shah says after review meeting

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said a security-centric strategy, infrastructure development and the disruption of Maoist financial networks have delivered “positive results” in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), asserting that Naxalism will be completely eradicated from the country before March 31.

Shah made the remarks after chairing a high-level security review meeting in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

“The double-engine government has left no stone unturned to eradicate the menace of Naxalism from the country, and it has reached the verge of its end,” Shah said.

In a post on X, the home minister said the combination of enhanced security operations, development initiatives, targeted action against Naxal funding and an expanded surrender policy had significantly weakened the insurgency. “Naxalism will be completely eradicated before March 31,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, the Union home secretary, the Intelligence Bureau director and the special secretary (internal security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Chiefs of central forces including the CRPF, BSF, ITBP and the National Investigation Agency were present, along with police chiefs from Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Telangana.

Later in the day, addressing a conclave organised by Organiser Weekly, Shah described communist ideology as “destructive” and urged Maoists to lay down arms, assuring them that those who surrender would be welcomed “with a red carpet.”

He said the Maoist problem should not be seen merely as a law-and-order issue or attributed solely to lack of development. “Left-Wing Extremism is an ideology-driven challenge,” Shah said, calling for greater public awareness of what he described as the “truth” of communist ideology.

“Wherever communists remained in power, they could not bring development. Communist ideology indicates destruction, and the country needs to get rid of it immediately,” he added.

Shah claimed that communist ideology has largely receded from democratic politics, citing its decline in states such as Tripura and West Bengal, and said it was “surviving to an extent” in Kerala, where he pointed to recent BJP electoral gains in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to police data, since January 2024 more than 500 Naxalites — including senior CPI (Maoist) leader Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju — have been killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh. During the same period, around 1,900 Naxalites were arrested and over 2,500 surrendered in the state.