A Big development and a big Milestone achieved by Union Home Ministry and state forces.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday declared Abujhmarh hilly forest area in Chhattisgarh's North Bastar Naxal-free after 170 Maoists surrendered. Welcoming the surrendering Maoists, who joined the mainstream, Shah applauded their decision to renounce violence and have faith in the Constitution of India.
The development comes a day after 27 Maoists, including 10 women, surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district. The group also included two hardcore cadres from the feared People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion-01, one of the most dangerous units of the insurgency network.
Meanwhile Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced that senior Maoist leader and CPI (Maoist) politburo member Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathi or Sonu, surrendered along with 60 other cadres in Gadchiroli.
"Today, 170 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. Yesterday, 27 had laid down their arms in the state.
In Maharashtra, 61 returned to the mainstream, yesterday. In total, 258 battle-hardened left-wing extremists have abjured violence in the last two days," Shah wrote on X.
"I applaud their decision to renounce violence, reposing their trust in the Constitution of India. It attests to the fact that Naxalism is breathing its last due to the relentless efforts of the PM@NarendraModi-led government to end the menace," he added.
Notably, the Union Home Minister has vowed to deliver the death knell to Naxalim in India by March 31, 2026.
The home ministry announced on Wednesday that the number of districts severely affected by Naxalism has been reduced from six to three. This achievement comes as a result of the government’s comprehensive strategy under the National Action Plan and Policy to curb Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
According to the ministry’s statement, only Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh now remain among the most impacted by LWE activities.
"Our policy is clear: those who want to surrender are welcome, and those who continue to wield the gun will meet the wrath of our forces. I appeal again to those who are still on the path of Naxalism to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream. We are committed to uprooting Naxalism before 31st March 2026," the home minister's tweet read further.
The home ministry earlier noted that the number of LWE-affected districts has been reduced from 18 to 11, marking another significant step in weakening the Naxal network.
The 11 districts still impacted by LWE activities—of which three are categorised as the most affected—include
Bijapur, Dantewada, Gariyaband, Kanker, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Narayanpur, and Sukma in Chhattisgarh;
West Singhbhum in Jharkhand;
Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh;
Gadchiroli in Maharashtra; and Kandhamal in Odisha.
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