Union Home Minister Amit Shah has urged all remaining underground Naxals to surrender, declaring that the government aims to eradicate Left wing extremism nationwide by 31 March 2026.
New Delhi:Union Home Minister Amit Shah has urged all remaining underground Naxals to surrender, declaring that the government aims to eradicate Left wing extremism nationwide by 31 March 2026.
In a series of posts on X, Shah said CoBRA commandos and the Chhattisgarh Police arrested 22 armed cadres in multiple operations in Bijapur district, while 11 militants laid down arms in Sukma’s Badesetti panchayat, rendering that area “completely Naxal free”. The day’s tally brings recent surrenders in Sukma to 33, he added.
“I appeal to the hiding Naxalites to lay down their arms as soon as possible and join the mainstream… We are determined to free the country from the scourge of Naxalism before 31 March 2026,” the minister wrote.
Addressing the CRPF Raising Day at Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday, Shah said the insurgency now lingers in just four districts. He credited more than 400 forward operating bases set up by the CRPF—particularly its guerrilla warfare CoBRA battalions—for a 70 % drop in violence, and asserted that security forces are “close to ending it”.
The Home Ministry’s surrender-and rehabilitation policy offers monetary aid, housing, and vocational support to ex cadres who give up arms. Officials said fresh appeals will be made in remaining strongholds ahead of this summer’s anti Naxal operations.
With local security forces reporting fewer ambushes and shrinking rebel footprints, the Centre hopes to meet the 2026 deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a “Naxal free India”.
