From Pashupatinath to Tirupati, Naxals confined to 4 districts: Amit Shah

Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said, “Naxalites who dreamt of spreading red terror from Pashupatinath (in Nepal) to Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) are today confined to four districts. The biggest role and contribution of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) will be in making the country free from Naxalism.”

He was speaking at the raising day celebration of the CRPF in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh.

“The dreaded Naxalites tremble on seeing the CRPF’s Cobra Battalion coming. Under the leadership of Cobra Battalion, other CRPF soldiers have made a huge contribution towards eliminating Naxalism. Naxalism will be eliminated from the country by March 31, 2026, forever and this goal has been set on the strength of CRPF,” he said.

Shah said that the CRPF has established more than 400 forward operating bases in Maoist-affected areas in the past five years and that due to this, Maoist violence has reduced more than 70 per cent in 10 years.

The home minister said whether it is maintaining peace in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 or ensuring peaceful conduct of every election, CRPF jawans have performed their duty with a true heart everywhere. “After the removal of Article 370, assembly elections were held in Kashmir and at that time people had many kinds of apprehensions, but our CRPF and other security forces ensured security and neither was there any news of a single booth being looted nor of firing of even a single bullet,” he said.