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by IANS |
Raipur, June 23 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah's scheduled visit to Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh on Monday was cancelled due to heavy rain forecasts in the region, official sources said.
Instead, the Union Minister remained in Raipur, where he will chair high-level meetings with security commanders to review the anti-Maoist operations and internal security strategies.
He was scheduled to visit the Irakbhatti village of Narayanpur district and meet people from the Abhujhmadiya tribe.
During his two-day visit to Chhattisgarh, Union Minister Shah reiterated the Centre's commitment to eradicating Maoism by March 31, 2026.
"I had said in Chhattisgarh itself that on March 31, 2026, this country will be free from Maoism, and I would like to reiterate today that the way the security forces have shown valour, we will definitely achieve this goal," he said while addressing officials in Raipur on Sunday.
He issued a stern warning to Maoists, saying, "If you do not lay down your arms, we will not let you sleep throughout the monsoon."
Union Minister Shah chaired an inter-state security coordination meeting with the Director Generals of Police and Additional Director Generals of Police from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Odisha on Sunday.
The meeting focused on intensifying operations during the monsoon, a period traditionally seen as a tactical pause by insurgents.
"There will be no respite this time," Union Minister Shah asserted, ruling out any negotiations and urging militants to surrender and join the mainstream.
The Union Home Minister also laid the foundation stones for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus and a Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Nava Raipur.
The NFSU campus, to be built on 40 acres at a cost of Rs 400 crore, is expected to bolster forensic capabilities in central India.
"Graduating from NFSU will be like a job guarantee," Union Minister Shah told students, highlighting the institution's role in modernising India's criminal justice system.
He shared his meeting with children from the Maoist-affected areas and wrote a post on his official X account, "Those innocent children who were once given guns by Maoists are now being empowered with books," he said, praising the initiative for integrating youth into the mainstream and fostering hope in conflict-ridden regions".
He also met with students from Bijapur's Usur and Gangalore development blocks, commending their journey toward integration into the mainstream.
Reiterating the Centre's policy direction, the Union Home Minister said that the Narendra Modi government's efforts to eliminate left-wing extremism have been successful due to strong inter-state coordination.
"It is because of this seamless coordination that the security forces are getting success against the Maoists," he said, referencing the collective progress made in regions affected by Maoist violence.
Commending the leadership in the state, Union Minister Shah described the vigorous anti-Maoist campaign launched over the past 18 months as a landmark achievement of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister and State Home Minister Vijay Sharma.
He credited both leaders for not just initiating the campaign with conviction but also for continuously steering its course, energising security forces, and ensuring a cohesive and resolute approach in the fight against extremism.
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