NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a security and development review meeting of the eight Chief Ministers of Naxal-affected states and asserted that the fight against Left-Wing-Extremists (LWEs) was in the final stages and the government is resolved to eliminate the menace by March 26 next year.In concluding remarks at the meeting the Home Minister also noted that if the development has to reach the last person in the affected areas, the Left ideology-driven violence has to completely end.“To fight against LWE, it is necessary to establish the rule of law in the Naxal-affected areas. For the first time in the last 30 years, the number of people killed due to left ideology-backed extremism has been less than 100,” Shah said.Noting that the fight against LWE violence is now in its final stages, Shah said, by March 2026, the country “will get freedom from this decades-old problem. Eighty Five percent cadre strength of LWE is now confined only to Chhattisgarh. In Chhattisgarh, since January till now, 194 extremists have been killed, 801 of them have given up arms and 742 have surrendered”.Appealing to the Naxal operatives to give up their weapons and join the mainstream, the Home Minister said, “We have formed joint task forces with state police organisations in the affected states, but there is a need to work on its hierarchy. Today 12 helicopters are deployed for anti-Naxal operations, which include six of the BSF and six of the Air Force.”Meanwhile, congratulating the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and his team including the state Home Minister and the Director General of Police for successes in anti-Naxal operations, the Shah said, since August till now about 194 Naxalites have been killed. “I appeal to the youth, who are still associated with Naxal outfits, to give up violence and come into the mainstream. Naxalism is not going to benefit anyone.”The Home Minister also informed that a joint campaign for government capacity building would be launched soon and the budget for Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme has been increased by almost 3 times to ensure developmental initiatives in such areas.
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