Amit Shah asks hiding Naxals to surrender, join mainstream

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asked all underground Naxals to surrender as soon as possible and join the mainstream, saying the government is determined to free the country from the scourge of Naxalism before March 31, 2026. Shah also said that CoBRA commandos and Chhattisgarh Police have arrested 22 notorious Naxals with modern weapons and explosive materials in different operations in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. He said that 11 Naxals have also surrendered in the Badesetti panchayat of Sukma due to which the area has become completely Naxal-free. Advertisement “I appeal to the hiding Naxal to lay down their arms as soon as possible and join the mainstream by adopting the surrender policy of the Modi government. We are determined to free the country from the scourge of Naxalism before March 31, 2026,” Shah wrote on X. In another post, the Home Minister said 22 Naxals have surrendered in Sukma (Chhattisgarh), taking the total number of surrendered Maoists to 33. Advertisement “I congratulate the security force personnel and Chhattisgarh Police for this success towards the Naxal-free India campaign,” he said. Addressing the CRPF Raising Day function at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the Home Minister had said that Naxalism is now confined to just four districts in India. “Naxalism has been confined to just four districts in India. The menace will end in the country by March 31, 2026, as stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CAPF and the CRPF, especially its CoBRA battalion, are playing a major role in eliminating Naxalism from the country,” Shah said. The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) is a specialised unit of the CRPF, known for its proficiency in guerrilla and jungle warfare, particularly in combating the Naxal menace. Shah also said the CRPF has set up more than 400 forward operating bases in the Naxal-affected areas where violence has come down by more than 70 per cent. “We are now close to ending it,” he said.