‘Those who fire bullets and torch schools will not be spared’: Amit Shah warns Naxals

Chhattisgarh: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday issued a strong warning to Naxals, stating that those who continue to fire bullets and torch schools and hospitals will not be spared, and that violence will receive a firm response from the government.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the Bastar Pandum event in Chhattisgarh, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal is to take Bastar’s culture and heritage to the world and assert that its identity is rooted in tradition, not guns and explosives. He added that the government wants to preserve Bastar’s cultural legacy for decades to come.

Shah also appealed to Naxals to surrender, describing Chhattisgarh’s Maoist rehabilitation policy as the most attractive in the country. He noted that many of the remaining Naxals include young tribal girls whose entire lives lie ahead of them, stressing that they must be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

Earlier in the day, Shah chaired a high-level security review meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in Raipur. The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, senior Union Home Ministry officials, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Special Secretary (Internal Security), and top officers from central forces including the CRPF, NIA, BSF and ITBP. Home Secretaries and Directors General of Police from Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra also participated. Discussions covered both security measures and development projects in Naxal-affected regions.

Shah emphasised that Chhattisgarh, once considered a stronghold of Naxal violence, is now becoming a symbol of development under what he described as the “double engine government”. He highlighted a security-centric strategy involving targeted action against Naxal financial networks, effective surrender and rehabilitation policies, and accelerated infrastructure development in affected districts.

Expressing confidence in the ongoing operations, Shah said Naxalism would be completely eradicated from the country by March 31, 2026. He stressed that coordinated efforts must continue to prevent remaining Naxals from fleeing to neighbouring states and to ensure equal development opportunities for residents of previously affected areas.

The Home Minister concluded that security and development must go hand in hand, asserting that the government is determined to make India free of Naxalism and to bring communities out of poverty and illiteracy through sustained action.
(With PTI inputs)