Chhattisgarh: Shah calls for joint action by security forces to eliminate Maoism by 2026

Raipur, Dec 17 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said all security forces and agencies should make joint efforts to completely eliminate Left Wing Extremism by March 2026.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will play a very important role in this effort, Shah said on Monday while chairing a review meeting to assess the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) situation in Chhattisgarh.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Chhattisgarh's chief secretary and director general of police, and director generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) were present in the meeting, an official release said.

During the meeting, Shah asked all forces and agencies to make joint efforts towards achieving the goal of complete elimination of LWE by March 2026, it said.

The Chhattisgarh police and other security forces have worked very well in a coordinated manner in the fight against Naxalism and inflicted maximum damage on the ultras in the last one year, which is a huge success, the statement quoted Shah as saying.

"We still have a lot to do to eliminate Naxalism before March 2026. The National Investigation Agency will play a very important role in this effort," Shah said.

Exuding confidence that Naxalism will be eliminated before March 2026, the Union minister said the CRPF, ITBP, BSF, Chhattisgarh police and District Reserve Guard (DRG) together have moved towards achieving a very big goal in a year.

Earlier in the day, he visited the security forces' Gundam forward operating base in Bijapur district and reviewed the operational preparedness, the release said. PTI