"North Part of Gadchiroli district is completely Naxal-free": Maharashtra CM

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], December 21 (ANI): Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday informed that 33 Naxals have been killed in the last year and said that the North Part of Gadchiroli district has become completely "Naxal-free". The CM was speaking in the state assembly on the last day of the Winter session.
Fadnavis also said that as many as 55 Naxals have been arrested and 33 have surrendered in the same period.
Speaking in the Maharashtra assembly earlier he said, "North Part of Gadchiroli district is completely Naxal-free. 33 Maoists have been killed, 55 Maoists have been arrested, 33 Maoists have surrendered, in the last year".
He further said that the government will continue its fight against Naxalism and fixed a timeline of three years to crush the left-wing extremism.
He added, "1500 youths of Gadchiroli have joined the police force, out of which 33 youths are Naxal victims, the main leader of Maoists Giridhar and his wife have surrendered, Giridhar had recruited the cadre of South Gadchiroli, the government's goal is to eliminate Naxalism in the coming 3 years..."
Earlier in the month, CM Fadnavis said, "The threat of Naxalism is not limited to remote areas only. Many front organizations have been formed. They are trying to shake the faith in the Constitution through an ecosystem. Many of these organizations try to rescue the arrested Naxalites. They create a safe haunt for them," he said.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had reiterated his resolve to "completely eradicate" Naxalism from the country by March 31, 2026.
"In the last 10 years, we have fought Naxalism on multiple fronts. Today, there is a 73 per cent reduction in the deaths of security personnel and a 70 per cent decrease in civilian deaths in areas that have been Naxal strongholds since 1973. By March 31, 2026, we will completely eradicate Naxalism from the country," Shah had said. (ANI)