Country will be free from Naxalism by March 2026: Shah

Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday declared that India will be completely free from Naxalism by March this year, crediting the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for its decisive role in uprooting the red terror.

Speaking at the 87th Raising Day celebrations of the CRPF here, Shah said the force’s sacrifices and courage have transformed the nation’s internal security landscape. Marking a historic milestone, the Raising Day parade was held in Assam for the first time in the CRPF’s 86-year history.




“Naxalism had spread across 12 states and countless districts of the country, and when the Govt of India resolved to uproot this menace, personnel of the CRPF and the CoBRA force played the most crucial role in this effort. Such a huge, complex, and difficult task was completed in just three years, and it is because of the CRPF personnel that we can confidently say that by March 31, 2026, the country will be completely free from Naxalism,” Shah said.

Shah reaffirmed that the CRPF and its elite CoBRA unit have dismantled Naxalite strongholds under “Operation Black Forest,” enduring extreme conditions to secure victory.

“Displaying exceptional courage, CRPF jawans did not retreat even an inch while operating for 21 days on rocky hills heated by 45-degree temperatures, ultimately dismantling the strategic base of the Naxalites,” he said adding, “The CRPF and the CoBRA force have made a very significant contribution in freeing the country from red terror.”

Shah said the CRPF has been the backbone of India’s internal security for 86 years, standing tall against terrorism, extremism, and insurgency. “Without the CRPF, the internal security of the country cannot even be imagined,” he said, noting that 2,270 jawans have made the supreme sacrifice to keep the nation safe.

Shah recalled that a decade ago, Jammu and Kashmir, Left-Wing Extremism-affected states, and the northeast were the three major hotspots of violence. “Today, peace has been established in all three regions. Where once bomb blasts, bullets, and blockades dominated, now engines of growth are driving development forward,” he said.

Highlighting the operational role of the CRPF across India’s security landscape, Shah reminded audiences that even in the face of extreme adversity — such as the Kolkata attack where 78 police personnel were killed by Left-wing extremists — the CRPF held its ground with courage. He also credited the force with foiling the terrorist attack on Parliament and thwarting the 2005 assault on Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, underscoring its track record of never failing in duty.

“CRPF personnel never fail in their duty. After the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, not a single bullet had to be fired, and the CRPF played a very significant role in ensuring this,” he said adding that incidents of stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir have come down to zero, industries are coming in, and development is taking place, with major contributions from the CRPF, the BSF, and especially the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

He said that 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.

Tracing the CRPF’s journey from two battalions in 1939 to 248 battalions today, Shah said the force has grown into the world’s largest paramilitary organisation with 3.25 lakh personnel.