KARANPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned that the threat of Naxalism had not ended despite the elimination of armed Maoist cadres, alleging that "dimagi Naxals" had infiltrated several organisations, including political parties, and were mobilising people against the Constitution and democracy.
"We must identify and defeat such elements and secure the country," Modi said while celebrating Diwali with security personnel at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Karanpur in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district.
Addressing personnel deployed in the region, Modi said the elimination of armed Maoists was a victory for the government's policies and political will, but cautioned against what he described as the continuing ideological influence of Naxalism.
"Amid the successes, we must remember one more thing. Naxalites have been eliminated, but the threat is not over yet. Armed Naxalites have disappeared from the forests, but 'dimagi Naxals' have taken control of several organisations," he said.
He further alleged that such elements were instigating people against the Constitution and democracy and had infiltrated political parties and other organisations.
Earlier, during his Independence Day address in August, Modi had also used the term "dimagi Naxals", claiming that while armed Naxalism had been eliminated from forests, its ideological supporters continued to pose a threat.
During Sunday's address, the prime minister credited his government with disrupting the financial networks of Maoist groups and separatist organisations.
"Earlier governments had tied the hands of security forces in the fight on the ground. Maoist attacks took place, but security forces did not have the freedom to retaliate effectively. We gave security forces the freedom to take all necessary decisions," he said.
Modi also claimed that his government had worked to dismantle the support networks that Left-Wing Extremism received from within the government and administrative system.
He said the government's objective was to ensure that no family lost a child to Maoist violence, no young person took up arms and no child's future was destroyed by the conflict.
"We remained committed to this resolve until the goal was achieved. Without publicity or showmanship, we worked with sensitivity and broke the backbone of Maoist terrorists," he said.
The prime minister also referred to the scale of the insurgency in earlier years, saying more than 230 districts across nearly 20 states had once been affected by Naxalism.
He further said that, for the first time in 47 years, no CRPF personnel had been killed in the line of duty during the past year.
Bastar, once considered the epicentre of Left-Wing Extremism in Chhattisgarh, has witnessed intensified anti-Naxal operations, surrenders by Maoist cadres and the expansion of government development initiatives.
Earlier on Sunday, Modi announced his visit to Bastar in a post on X, saying he would celebrate Diwali with security personnel in the region.
He described Bastar as an area where Naxalism once held sway but where development was now gaining ground. He also paid tribute to security personnel for their sacrifices and service.
With inputs from media reports.