'Red corridor' will be crushed by March 31, says Amit Shah

BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday hailed security forces for decisively curbing Naxal activities, declaring that the extremists' long-cherished ambition of establishing a "red corridor" stretching from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to Pashupati in Nepal will be removed by March 31.

He was speaking at the 57th raising day celebrations of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Mundali in Cuttack district of Odisha, where he launched five housing projects worth Rs 890 crore for the paramilitary force which he hailed a "key catalyst" in India's industrial growth.

"Naxal-free India is the resolve of the Narendra Modi govt. I want to reassure citizens that by March 31, left-wing extremism (LWE) will be completely wiped out. By defeating those who dream of a red corridor from Tirupati to Pashupati, our security forces will establish their dominance," Shah said. Highlighting the CISF's role in anti-Maoist efforts, Shah said: "Be it Odisha, Chhattisgarh or Telangana, CISF has made a significant contribution in our fight against LWE."

Although CISF is not directly engaged in combat operations, officials say they play a crucial supporting role - serving as road-opening parties, securing routes for troop movement, protecting installations in Naxal-affected areas, and assisting state govts in outreach and welfare initiatives to build trust.

From the Mundali training centre, Shah laid the foundation stone virtually for three CISF residential complexes in Assam, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

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