‘Naxalism Spread Because of This Leftist Ideology’: Amit Shah Says Congress Failed Bastar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday launched a political broadside at the Congress while speaking on the Naxal issue in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, alleging that decades of governance failure and ideological support for Left-wing extremism had pushed tribal communities towards Maoist influence. He asserted that the Centre's combined strategy of security action and development has now brought Naxalism in Bastar close to its final phase.

Shah Blames Congress for Bastar's Maoist Crisis

Sharpening his attack on the opposition, Shah said the roots of the Naxal problem in Bastar lay in the inability of earlier governments to ensure that the state reached tribal communities in remote areas. According to him, this vacuum allowed Maoist ideology to take hold in parts of the region over several decades.

Expanding on the historical context, Shah said the rise of Left-wing extremism was not simply linked to a lack of development, but to political and ideological decisions taken in the past. He specifically referred to the Congress era and claimed the warning signs of Naxalism were ignored at a crucial stage.

"The root cause of Naxalism is not the demand for development. It is an ideology that Indira Gandhi embraced in 1970 to win the presidential election. Naxalism spread because of this Leftist ideology."

'Red Corridor' Once Spread Across Several States

Highlighting the scale of the insurgency at its peak, the Home Minister said Naxal violence had once affected nearly a dozen states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra. He said the spread of extremism across these regions led to the formation of what became known as the "Red Corridor".

Describing the severity of the situation in those years, Shah said governance and law enforcement had nearly collapsed in the affected belt, leaving lakhs of people trapped in deprivation and violence.

"The rule of law had ended there. Crores of people lived in poverty, and thousands of young lives were lost," he said.

He further said the conflict had taken a devastating human toll over the years, adding that an estimated 20,000 young people lost their lives due to prolonged violence linked to Naxalism.

Security Forces Faced Massive Firepower Challenge

Shah also spoke about the intensity of the insurgency and the scale of the operational challenge faced by security personnel. He said a significant portion of the arms used by Maoist groups had been obtained by attacking police and paramilitary forces.

According to him, nearly 92 per cent of the weapons used by Naxalites were looted from police forces, underscoring how heavily armed the groups had become over time through violent ambushes and raids.

The Home Minister said such figures reflect the seriousness of the Left-wing extremism threat that India had to confront for years, especially in remote forested zones like Bastar.

Govt Claims Major Gains Against Left-Wing Extremism

Shah maintained that the situation has changed significantly in recent years, crediting the Narendra Modi government's approach of combining strong security operations with infrastructure development and governance outreach in affected districts.

He said the steady expansion of roads, welfare schemes, and state presence in previously inaccessible areas, along with sustained anti-Naxal operations, has sharply weakened the influence of Maoist groups in Bastar and other Left-wing extremism-hit regions.

His remarks came just days before the March 31 deadline set by the Centre to eliminate Left-wing extremism, and amid recent developments such as the surrender of Maoist commander Papa Rao.