Key Points

Shah is in the city to attend the ceremony to give appointment letters to more than 60,000 newly selected police constables. On the occasion, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath handed the letters to the new recruits.

Shah also attacked Congress for not being able to curb terrorist attacks across the country during the UPA-led years before 2014.

"Terrorist attacks used to happen every day under Congress' rule, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Delhi, and don't even mention Kashmir. Pakistan tried to attack India thrice during PM Modi's rule. When they tried in Uri, they were met with a surgical strike. After Pulwama, they were met with an air strike, and after Pahalgam, the headquarters of terrorists were razed to the ground with Operation Sindoor. PM Modi sent a message to the whole country that India's blood is not meant to be shed, and whoever dares to do this will be punished," Shah said during the program.

Talking about the promise of eradicating Naxalism by March 31, 2026, Shah added how in 11 years of governance led by PM Modi, Naxalism's spread has been reduced from over 11 states to just 3 districts.

"In 11 years of PM Modi, the country has gotten safe. Naxalism was prevalent in 11 states of the country. After these last 11 years of PM Modi, naxalism is present in only three districts now. Don't forget my words: by 31. 3. 2026 this country will be free from Naxalism," he said.

Operation Sindoor was one of the responses by India to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April. The attack killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, following which Pakistan retaliated and the Indian armed forces carried out targeted strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Meanwhile in Chhattisgarh and border areas, security forces have been carrying out multiple operations, with various Naxal leaders killed in the recent months. On May 21, an encounter in the forests of Boter village resulted in the elimination of 27 Naxals.

The two most high profile cases in the recent months has been the neutralisation of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary and Polit Bureau member Basavaraju alias Gaganna and also Central Committee Member Gautam (alias Sudhakar), and Bhaskar.

According to government data, there has been a 53 per cent drop in the incidents of Naxal violence over the last ten years between 2014 and 2024, compared to the decade before.

Between 2004 and 2014, the data mentions, there were 16,463 incidents of Naxal violence. However, from 2014 to 2024, the number dropped to 7,744.

As per the officials in the security establishment, the reduction in Naxal violence reflects "the success of intensified counter-insurgency operations and strategic policies by security forces."

- ANI