Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), Oct 4: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday firmly ruled out any possibility of talks with Naxals, urging them instead to surrender under the government’s “lucrative surrender and rehabilitation policy.” He announced March 31, 2026 as the deadline to bid farewell to Left-Wing Extremism, assuring that Bastar and other affected regions will be freed from “red terror.”
Addressing the Bastar Dussehra Lokotsav and Swadeshi Mela in Jagdalpur, Shah said both the Centre and Chhattisgarh governments are committed to development. “What is there to talk about? Come forward, accept the rehabilitation scheme and lay down your weapons,” he asserted.
The Home Minister said he prayed at Maa Danteshwari Temple for the strength of security forces to eliminate Naxalism. Warning extremists, he said security forces will give a befitting reply to those disrupting peace with arms.
Rejecting the narrative that Naxalism was rooted in demands for development, Shah said, “The truth is Bastar has been deprived of development because of Naxalism, not because of the government.” He listed welfare measures including electricity, drinking water, roads, healthcare, and free rations that have reached most villages nationwide but not Bastar due to insurgency.
He underlined that the Narendra Modi government has allocated over Rs 4 lakh crore to Chhattisgarh in the past decade, promising that after March 2026, Naxals will not be able to obstruct growth or tribal rights. Shah urged locals to convince those misled by extremism to rejoin the mainstream.
Calling Bastar’s 75-day-long Dussehra one of the world’s longest and most significant tribal festivals, Shah highlighted BJP’s schemes for tribal welfare and reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to peace and prosperity in the region.