Union home minister Amit Shah during a meeting of the inter-state coordination committee of Naxal-affected states. (Image: PTI)
Home minister Amit Shah said that central government schemes and state government schemes will be fully implemented in Naxal-infested areas.
Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said it is time for the final assault on Naxalism and said that the time has come for the ‘final assault’ on the extremist ideology.
“I believe that our fight has reached the end phase and by March 2026, we will be able to free the country completely from naxalism,” Amit Shah said, while addressing a press conference following an inter-state coordination meeting with Chattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, chief secretaries, and director generals of police of Chhattisgarh and neighbouring states.
“Time has come to carry out the final assault along with a ruthless strategy to tackle leftism and naxalism,” he said.
Shah stated that the meeting focused on achieving full implementation of central government’s and Chhattisgarh government’s schemes in Naxal-infested areas and advancing infrastructure projects in these regions while addressing challenges faced during implementation of these projects earlier.
“(To ensure) 100% saturation of central government and Chhattisgarh government’s schemes in the areas affected by Naxalism, progress of infrastructure projects in such areas and to remove the challenges faced during such projects, this meeting was (held) for that,” he said.
He said the number of deaths due to left-wing extremism (LWE) has fallen in the past couple of years. “In the first 10 years, 6617 security personnel and citizens were killed and now there has been a 70% reduction,” he said.
Amit Shah also said that the population census will be done at an ‘appropriate time’. “It will be done at the appropriate time. I will announce how it will happen and when it will happen,” he said.
Shah also targeted the Congress at the press conference for forming a coalition with the National Conference (NC) for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections.
He also accused the party for not working for the benefit of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
