Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha on March 30, 2026, that Naxalism has been “almost eradicated” from Bastar and that the region is now on a “path of progress,” a claim Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised as “outstanding.” Shah made the remarks during a debate on “Efforts to free the country from left-wing extremism (LWE),” a day before the March 31, 2026 deadline he had set last year for ending Naxal violence nationwide.
Shah said the government launched campaigns to establish a school and a ration shop in every village in Bastar, set up Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres across tehsils and panchayats, and issued Aadhaar and ration cards so residents now receive five kilograms of food grains. “Today, Naxalism has been almost eradicated from Bastar,” he said, asking why such benefits had not reached the area earlier.
Sharply criticising the Congress, Shah questioned why tribal communities remained “deprived of development” during its rule, saying, “Out of the 75 years since independence, power remained in your hands for 60 years.” He accused the party of failing to provide basic facilities-housing, clean water, schools, mobile connectivity and banking-to tribal populations and said the “shadow of Red Terror” had blocked development until the current government intervened.
Shah credited the success against Maoist groups to the Central Armed Police Forces, notably Cobra and the CRPF, as well as Chhattisgarh police, DRG units and local tribal communities. He warned that violence cannot be justified and urged grievances to be addressed through constitutional means. “Anyone who takes up arms will be held accountable,” he said, adding that courts, assemblies and local bodies exist to redress injustice.
Describing Naxalism as an ideological problem rather than solely a development issue, Shah said the movement spread because of a “Leftist ideology,” and claimed historical political decisions had contributed to its rise. He told MPs that some 12 crore people had lived in poverty in affected areas and that thousands of young lives were lost during the period of unrest.
Prime Minister Modi backed Shah’s address, calling it “filled with important facts, historical context and the efforts of our Government in the last decade,” and reiterated that the government has worked to uproot LWE while extending development to affected regions. Shah used the debate, and the deadline on March 31, 2026, to emphasise that the government will not tolerate violence-whether in Naxal-affected areas, Jammu and Kashmir or the Northeast-and will take strong action against offenders.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/amit-shah-says-naxalism-nearly-eradicated-in-bastar-blames-congress-for-decades-of-neglect-13994761.html
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Publish Date: 2026-03-30 21:29:00
