Amit Shah: Naxalism to be completely eradicated before March 2026

New Delhi, August 24

Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that left-wing extremism (LWE) would be completely eradicated from the country before March 2026. He added that the entire ecosystem of Naxalism would have to be destroyed with a ruthless approach.

Shah stated this during a review meeting and inter-state coordination meeting on LWE with DGPs and chief secretaries of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Raipur.

He said, “There is a need to work with double speed and intensity to completely eradicate the menace of left-wing extremism related to human and national security.”

The Home Minister said all DGPs should prepare an action plan by holding meetings with the teams engaged in Naxal operations in their states every week to give more impetus to the campaign against LWE.

Besides, the chief secretaries should hold a review meeting on development works in Naxal-affected areas every fortnight. This would ensure that 100 per cent benefits of government schemes reach areas affected by naxalism, he added.

The Home Minister noted that unless Naxal operations were monitored continuously, it would be difficult to achieve the desired outcome.

Shah further said that the Special Investigation Agencies (SIAs) of the states need to be prepared and trained for investigation and prosecution on the lines of the NIA.

He said that this problem could not be controlled unless the extremists who have reached a non-returnable point were punished. He added that the surrender policy should be flexible, but efforts should be made to ensure that it wasn’t misused.

The Home minister stressed upon the states to formulate a policy for the education of people who have remained illiterate due to LWE. He also stressed on a holistic attack on the supply chain of left-wing extremism and its financing.

He said the states affected by left-wing extremism should work on eradicating the Naxal problem as soon as possible, instead of waiting till March 2026.

Shah further expressed confidence that the entire country, except for limited pockets of Chhattisgarh, will be free from left-wing extremism by December 2025.

He emphasised that the focus should be on coordination through standard operating procedures (SOPs) to better prepare the prosecution in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) cases.

Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Directors of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and National Investigation Agency (NIA), Director Generals of the CRPF, BSF, SSB and ITBP also attended the meeting.