Naxalism in India: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Rajya Sabha on Friday, stating that the Narendra Modi government has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and Naxalism. He confidently declared that Naxalism will be completely eradicated by March 31, 2026.
During his speech on the working of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shah explained how the government has used a three-pronged approach ‘Sanwad, Suraksha, Samanvaya’ — conversation, security, coordination — to control the menace. He highlighted the significant progress made in Chhattisgarh after the BJP came to power in December 2023.
”When the BJP came to power in Chhattisgarh in December 2023, after that, 380 naxals were killed in just a year while 30 naxals killed yesterday have not been added to this. As many as 1,194 were arrested and 1045 surrendered. The number (of active naxals) went down by 2619. In these operations, 26 security personnel died. This is the same Chhattisgarh, same Police, same CRPF, and same Government of India. It was just the Congress Government in power there…This is a question of approach.” Shah said, reported by The Statesman.
He said ”It is the same Chhattisgarh, same police, same CRPF, but difference of a BJP and Congress government.” ”We will erase Naxalism before March 31, 2026,” he promised.
Strong Action Against Terrorism
Shah also criticized the previous Congress government for being soft on terrorism. He praised the Modi government for its strong response to terror attacks. “The Modi government has a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. Earlier, no action was taken after terror attacks, and people used to forget about them. Terror attacks took place even in Uri and Pulwama, but within 10 days, we conducted surgical strikes and air strikes against Pakistan.” he said.
He also mentioned agreements made with extremist groups in states like Assam to bring peace. He said when the Narendra Modi Government was elected to power in 2014, it received several legacy issues from the previous government. “The security and development of this country were always challenged due to three main issues — terrorism in J&K, Leftist insurgency, and the North East issue”.
He highlighted the reduction in terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. “The number of terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir has dropped from 7,217 between 2004 and 2014 to 2,242 between 2014 and 2024. Deaths due to terrorism have also reduced by 70 percent under the Modi government,” Shah said in the Rajya Sabha.
Development in Naxal-Affected Areas
Shah emphasized the government’s efforts to bring development to Naxal-affected areas. “We are improving road connectivity and internet access in these regions. New banks and ATMs have been opened, and many youths have left their weapons to join the mainstream,” he said.
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He vowed to tackle the drug problem in the country. “It is our policy that we won’t let one kilo of drugs enter or exit the country,” he said. He highlighted the success of missions like Sagar Manthan 1, 2, and 3, which involved joint operations with states like Gujarat, Punjab, and Karnataka.
Through the Spandan mission, the government has provided help to those struggling with drug addiction. A hotline has also been set up to assist people in need.
Shah expressed his gratitude to the thousands of state police and central paramilitary force personnel who have sacrificed their lives to protect the country’s internal security and borders. He also spoke about the challenges of modern crime, such as narcotics, cybercrime, and organized crime gangs, which often cross state borders.
“PM Narendra Modi made long-overdue changes to the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure national security,” Shah said.
