Won't rest till Naxals wiped out, says Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Felicitating CRPF and Chhattisgarh police personnel here on the success of the May 2025 ' Operation Black Forest ' against Maoists in Karreguttalu Hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that the Narendra Modi govt shall not rest until all Naxalites surrender or are captured or eliminated.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will make India Naxal-free," Shah told the personnel of the CRPF, CoBRA battalion, Chhattisgarh police and district reserve guard (DRG) who, in the 21-day anti-Maoist operation, the largest-ever, neutralised 31 Naxalites and busted their supply chains and material dumps hidden in hundreds of caves running through Karreguttalu hills.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma were also present at the event. Congratulating the security personnel for having destroyed the base camp of Naxalites and making 'Operation Black Forest' a success despite the extreme heat, altitude and IED threats at every step, Shah said their valour would be remembered as "a golden chapter in the history of the anti-Naxal operations ".

Slamming the Maoists for causing great damage to the least developed areas of the country, shutting down schools and hospitals, and not allowing govt schemes to reach the people, Shah said the anti-Naxal operations in 'core' Maoist areas have brought a "new sunrise in the lives of 6.5 crore people from Pashupatinath to Tirupati". "The Modi govt is committed to eliminating Naxalism from the country by Mar 31, 2026," said Shah.