Amit Shah terms reduction of most-affected Naxal-hit districts to 3 as 'historic'

New Delhi, Oct 15 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said it was "historic" that the number of districts most affected by Naxalism had been reduced from six to three and asserted that India would be free from the menace of left wing extremism by March 31, 2026.

Shah said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a terror-free India, counter-insurgency operations and people-centric development was leaving left wing extremists with no place to hide.

"Historic milestone in eliminating Naxalism. Today, number of most affected districts reduced from 6 to just 3, and affected districts to 11 from 18," he wrote on X.

The home minister said by March 31, 2026, India will be free from the menace of Naxalism.

According to the home ministry, only Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh remain to be the districts termed as "most affected" by Left Wing Extremism. PTI ACB VN VN