258 Naxalites surrender in 2 days in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra

New Delhi, Oct 16: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Thursday said 258 Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra over the past two days, and that areas long regarded as insurgent strongholds have now been declared free of Naxal terror.

The Ministry said 170 cadres surrendered in Chhattisgarh today, while 27 had laid down arms in the state yesterday and 61 in Maharashtra yesterday, taking the two-day total to 258.

The list of surrendering cadres includes 10 senior operatives: Satish alias T Vasudeo Rao (CCM), Ranita (SZCM, Secretary of Maad DVC), Bhaskar (DVCM, PL 32), Nila alias Nande (DVCM, IC and Secretary of Nelnar AC), and Deepak Palo (DVCM, IC and Secretary of Indravati AC), among others. T Vasudeo Rao carried a reward of ?1 crore; operatives of SZCM rank had rewards of ?25 lakh, DVCMs ?10–15 lakh and ACMs ?5 lakh. Authorities also recovered a large cache of automatic weapons, including AK-47s, INSAS, SLRs and .303 rifles.

In a post on X, Amit Shah said, “It is a matter of immense pleasure that Abujhmarh and North Bastar in Chhattisgarh that were once terror bases, have today been declared as free from Naxal terror. Since January 2024, after our government was formed in Chhattisgarh, 2100 Naxalites have surrendered, 1785 have been arrested, and 477 have been eliminated. These numbers mirror the fierce resolve of our government to decimate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026.”

Commenting on the latest round of surrenders, the Home Minister added in another post on X: “A landmark day in our battle against Naxalism. Today, 170 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. Yesterday 27 had laid down their arms in the state. In Maharashtra, 61 returned to the mainstream, yesterday. In total, 258 battle-hardened left-wing extremists have abjured violence in the last two days. I applaud their decision to renounce violence, reposing their trust in the Constitution of India. It attests to the fact that Naxalism is breathing its last due to the relentless efforts of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi led government to end the menace. The policy of the Modi government is clear: those who want to surrender are welcome, and those who continue to wield the gun will meet the wrath of our forces. I appeal again to those who are still on the path of Naxalism to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream. We are committed to uprooting Naxalism before 31st March 2026.” Officials said the surrenders and recoveries are the result of sustained security operations, targeted intelligence, and ongoing rehabilitation and surrender-policy outreach. The government reiterated its dual approach of firm action against armed cadres who persist in violence, and incentives and reintegration support for those who surrender.