Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the number of most affected Left-wing extremism-hit districts has been reduced to six from 12, calling it a giant stride towards building a Maoist-free nation. In a post on X, he reiterated the determination to uproot Maoism from the country by March 31, 2026.
“Taking a giant stride towards building a Naxal-free Bharat, today our nation achieved a new milestone by significantly reducing the number of districts most affected by left-wing extremism to just 6 from 12. The Modi government is building a Sashakt [strong], Surakshit [safe] and Samriddh [prosperous] Bharat with a ruthless approach to Naxalism and relentless efforts for all-pervasive development,” he wrote without providing further details.
The comments came against the backdrop of heightened anti-insurgency operations in a Left-wing insurgency-hit Chhattisgarh that has left over 100 rebels dead this year. Over two dozen Maoists have been killed in gunbattles in Chhattisgarh since last week.
There have been a series of anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh as part of the Union government’s target to end Left-wing insurgency by March 31, 2026. In 2024, 219 Maoists were killed in Chhattisgarh, compared to 22 in 2023 and 30 in 2022.
Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Sukma in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division are known as the epicentre of Maoist insurgency. Thousands of forces have been deployed there for the anti-Maoist operations in what is known as the “Red Corridor” to push back rebels, take over their hideouts in forests and cripple their fortifications.
A broader government strategy against the Maoists includes the construction of roads and developmental projects in Left-wing insurgency-hit areas.
