'Red' Letter Day: Armed Naxals wiped out in Chhattisgarh by deadline, says Deputy CM Sharma

RAIPUR: (Mar 31) As the Centre's deadline to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism ends on Tuesday, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said armed Naxals in the state have been "completely eliminated", with a handful of remaining cadres expected to surrender soon.

Setting a clear deadline two years ago to end Naxalism by March 31, 2026, coupled with technology-driven intelligence and precise security force operations, proved to be a turning point in the decisive fight against the decades-old insurgency, Sharma told PTI in an interview on Monday evening.

Calling it the "biggest achievement" of the past two years, he credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai for ensuring the writ of the Constitution extends to every corner of the state, including Bastar.