Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be totally eliminated from the country in two years and stressed the need for constant surveillance in the areas freed from Naxals to check any possibility of revival.
Chairing a meeting to review the security situation in LWE-affected States, Shah said the Modi government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against left wing extremism since 2014.
As a result, he said, the year 2022 saw the lowest level of LWE violence and deaths in the last four decades.
“Naxalism is a curse to humanity and we are resolved to uproot it in all its forms,” Shah said.
The review meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also attended the meeting where Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were represented by State ministers.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the face of Naxal-affected areas in the state was changing for the better due to development schemes.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in Mumbai, Shinde said urban Naxalism is being propagated through the internet and social media, and there is a need to create an effective mechanism to stop it, he added.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also advocated continued deployment of paramilitary forces to battle the problem. The chief minister also sought the fixing of the tenure of the IG of CRPF deputed in the state for at least three years in order to maintain continuity in anti-Naxal operations.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy Friday affirmed that LWE is on the wane in the State and Maoist activities are confined only to a few pockets.
Home minister Shah said all the affected States need to make efforts by forming a joint team of civil and police administration to dismantle the network of financial support of LWE.
Shah said the NIA and the ED are working closely with all State agencies to attack the financing of the LWE.
There is also a need to monitor Naxals from areas where this problem has been eliminated and do not take shelter in other states, he added.