Naxalism to be eliminated from India by March 31: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Naxalism would be eliminated from the country by the March 31 deadline set by the Government. Naxalism had spread across 12 states and countless districts of the country, and when the Centre resolved to uproot the menace, the CRPF and CoBRA force personnel played the most crucial role in the effort, he said, adding that such a huge, complex and difficult task was completed in just three years. He was addressing the 87th CRPF Day Parade here, the first ever in the northeast.
“Because of the CRPF personnel, we can confidently say that by March 31, 2026, the country will be completely free from Naxalism,” he asserted.
Praising the force for Operation Black Forest in the Karreguta Hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, in which 31 Naxals were killed in April-May 2025, Shah said CRPF personnel carried out the operation over 21 days in extremely-challenging geographical conditions, enduring a temperature of 45 degrees Celsius under the scorching sun, and eliminated the Naxalites’ stronghold.
He said, displaying exceptional courage, the CRPF jawans did not retreat even an inch while operating for those 21 days on rocky hills heated up by extremely high temperatures, ultimately dismantling the strategic base of Naxalites. Shah said the CRPF and the CoBRA force have made a very significant contribution in freeing the country from “red terror”.
He pointed out that 14 CRPF jawans were awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry on Saturday, five received the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, and five battalions of the force were honoured with medals for outstanding performances.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, CRPF Director General GP Singh and many other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Earlier, Singh said Operation Black Forest “broke the back” of Naxals. He asserted that Naxalism would be eliminated from the country by the March 31 deadline given by the Government. Shah said in the 86-year history of the CRPF, this was the first time that the force’s Raising-Day celebrations were held in the northeast, in Assam, which is a matter of pride for everyone and the entire region.
“In 2019, it was decided that the annual parade of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) would be held in different parts of the country. And today, the CRPF parade is being held in one of the most important parts of the country — the northeast,” he said.
Eight CRPF contingents, drawn from formations across the country, staged a ceremonial parade at the meticulously groomed Sarusajai Stadium here.
Resplendent in colourful headgear and marching to the reverberating drumbeats, the march past drew a sustained applause from a large crowd. The parade was led by Commandant Deepak Dhoundiyal of the 225th Battalion.
