Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday called Naxalism “the biggest challenge" for the democratic system and said the time had come for a "final assault" on Naxalism. He also said that Naxalism would be eliminated by March 2026.

"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 at a press conference in Raipur.

Amit Shah’s remarks came after he held meetings in Chhattisgarh to review the inter-state coordination and Left Wing Extremism situation, as well as security and development in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas of the state.

“We believe that Naxalism is the biggest challenge for the democratic system in our nation. In the last four decades, 17,000 people lost their lives because of Naxalism. Since PM Modi-led BJP came to power at the Centre, we have accepted this as a challenge and tried to bring those who have weapons in the hands (Naxalites) into the mainstream," Amit Shah said in Raipur.

He said the meeting in Chhattisgarh was to map out plans to tackle the issue, with steps including 100 per cent saturation of central government and Chhattisgarh government's schemes in the Naxal-affected areas, the progress of infrastructure projects in such areas and to remove the challenges faced during such projects.

“Time has come to carry out the final assault along with ruthless politics to tackle Left Wing Extremism and Naxalism," Amit Shah said.

Source: India Today