Raipur, Oct. 16 — Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday declared Abujhmarh and North Bastar in Chhattisgarh free of Naxal terror and announced that 170 Naxalites had surrendered in the state that day. He said remaining pockets of extremism — chiefly in South Bastar — would be eliminated soon by security forces.
“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,” Shah wrote on X. “Now a trace of Naxalism exists in South Bastar, which will be wiped out soon by our security forces.”
Shah said the surrenders came on the heels of 27 rebels laying down arms in Chhattisgarh and 61 doing so in Maharashtra on Wednesday, bringing the two‑day total to 258 militants who have renounced violence. “I applaud their decision to renounce violence, reposing their trust in the Constitution of India,” he added.
Reiterating the government’s approach, Shah said those who surrender will be welcomed, while “those who continue to wield the gun will face the wrath of our forces.” He appealed to remaining cadres to give up arms and rejoin the mainstream, and set a target to uproot Naxalism by March 31, 2026. “We are committed to uprooting Naxalism before 31st March 2026,” he said.
Providing a wider tally of the crackdown, Shah said that since January 2024 — after the BJP formed the government in Chhattisgarh — 2,100 Naxalites have surrendered, 1,785 have been arrested and 477 have been eliminated. “These numbers mirror our fierce resolve to decimate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026,” he wrote.
Security and administration officials have in recent months stepped up operations and surrender-and-rehabilitation drives in the Bastar region, a longtime stronghold of left‑wing extremists. Shah’s announcement underscores the government’s narrative that a combination of security pressure and inducements to lay down arms is producing results ahead of the stated deadline.
The Home Minister’s remarks are likely to sharpen focus on the final remaining areas of insurgent activity in South Bastar, where authorities say isolated groups continue to operate.
