‘Naxalism on its last legs’: Amit Shah declares Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmarh, North Bastar as Naxal-free

After the latest round of surrenders by Maoist leaders and cadres, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday declared Abujhmarh and North Bastar areas of Chhattisgarh as free of Maoism.

Shah said that the Maoist movement, which is also called Naxalism, was on its last legs. He said the government remained committed to end the movement in the country by March 31, 2026.

Shah said, “It is a matter of immense pleasure that Abujhmarh and North Bastar in Chhattisgarh that were once terror bases have today been declared as free from Naxal terror. Now a trace of Naxalism exists in South Bastar, which will be wiped out soon by our security forces.”

Shah said that 170 Maoists surrendered in Chhattisgarh today whereas 27 laid down their arms yesterday.

Shah further said, “In Maharashtra, 61 returned to the mainstream, yesterday. In total, 258 battle-hardened left-wing extremists have abjured violence in the last two days.”

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Since January 2024, 2,100 Maoists have surrendered, 1,785 have been arrested, and 477 have been killed in Chhatisgarh, said Shah.

Elsewhere as well, surrenders by Maoists have risen. Earlier this week, top Maoist leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao ‘Sonu’ surrendered with 60 cadres in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

‘Surrender of face wrath’

Shah said the government’s policy was clear that either Maoists would surrender and live or keep their arms and face the wrath.

“Our policy is clear: those who want to surrender are welcome, and those who continue to wield the gun will meet the wrath of our forces. I appeal again to those who are still on the path of Naxalism to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream,” said Shah.

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This year, several top Maoist leaders have been killed. In May, Chhattisgarh Police killed Nambala Kesava Rao alias Basavaraju, the General Secretary of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M), in forests in state’s Narayanpur district. Since then, many senior leaders like Sahadev Soren, Raghunath Hembram, Virsen Ganjhu, and Modem Balakrishna have also been killed.

Overall, security forces have killed 471 Maoists so far this year, according to UNI.