PM vows to end Maoism by March 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the number of Maoist-affected districts in India has come down sharply to just three from 125 over the last 11 years, expressing confidence that the entire country, including Chhattisgarh, will soon be completely free from Maoist terror.

- Agencies

He declared the government aims to eliminate Maoism by March 31, 2026.

Addressing the ‘Chhattisgarh Rajat Mahotsav’, marking the 25th anniversary of the state’s formation in Atal Nagar–Nava Raipur, the Prime Minister said that those who once held the red flag of Maoism have now surrendered and accepted the Indian Constitution. Prime Minister Modi said he was deeply satisfied that Chhattisgarh was freeing itself from the grip of Naxal violence that had caused immense pain to its people for more than five decades. He said Maoist ideology had deprived the tribal regions of basic facilities such as roads, schools, and hospitals, and those that existed were destroyed. Highlighting the reduction in Maoist influence, the Prime Minister noted that 11 years ago, India had around 150 Maoistaffected districts, but now only three remain: Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur, all in Chhattisgarh. “I guarantee that the day is not far when every corner of Chhattisgarh and India will be completely free from Maoist terror,” he asserted.

PM Modi said that in recent months, several Maoists, including those carrying bounties of lakhs and crores of rupees, had surrendered “They have now accepted the Indian Constitution and chosen the path of peace,” he said.