'Modi govt committed to ending Naxalism by March 2026': Amit Shah tells Parliament

Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, reiterated that Naxals will be eradicated from the country by March 2026.

He was replying to the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

His comments came a day after security forces eliminated over 20 Naxalites in separate encounters in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. Following which, Shah took to X and said, "The Modi government is moving ahead with a ruthless approach against Naxalites and is adopting a zero tolerance policy against those Naxalites who are not surrendering despite all the facilities from surrender to inclusion. The country is going to be Naxal-free before 31 March next year."

During his Rajya Sabha address, Shah highlighted Modi government's 'zero tolerance policy' towards terrorism. "As we all know, in Kashmir, there were frequent terrorist attacks coming from our neighboring country, bomb blasts, murders, and it was impossible to celebrate a festival without concern. The approach of the central government was lenient, they would stay silent, people were afraid to speak, and there were dilemmas and fears. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival, the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism was established," Shah stated.

Previously, no action was taken after terror attacks, and they were soon forgotten, he said. However, under the current government, when terror attacks occurred in Uri and Pulwama, surgical strikes and air strikes were carried out against Pakistan within 10 days.

Speaking about the abrogation of Article 370, the Union Home Minister said the number of terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir have reduced from 7,217 between 2004 and 2014 to 2,242 (between 2014 and 2024). "Between 2010 and 2014, on average, 2,654 incidents of organised stone-pelting and stone-throwing occurred every year. In 2024, no one has the courage to do even one," he said.

Shah said the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, left-wing extremism, and insurgency in Northeast were among the biggest challenges for India.

Talking about the Northeast, Shah said the region is by and large peaceful, and ever since the Modi government came to power, a new era of development has been ushered in.

"We have signed about 19 peace accords since 2019, while about 10,000 militants have surrendered in this period in the Northeast," he said.