BHUBANESWAR: Union Home minister Amit Shah on Monday felicitated Odisha Police for making the state Naxal-free.
At a function held at Badal Academy Ground at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, Shah presented a memento to DGP YB Khurania and ADG (anti-Naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda, and congratulated Odisha Police for eliminating Left-wing extremism (LWE) from the state as per the Centre’s deadline of March 31.
“I can declare with my head held high that India is now Naxal-free. The pledge to create a Maoist-free India was taken on August 24, 2024 and this resolve was fulfilled well before March 31,” Shah said.
Accepting the honour, Panda said Odisha Police was immensely grateful to the Union Home minister for recognising the force’s efforts in anti-Naxal front. He attributed the success to the joint efforts of SOG, DVF, SIW, CRPF and BSF.
Police officers of Chhattisgarh and other Naxal-affected states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, CRPF, BSF and SSB were present. The function was also attended by the family members of the victims of Naxal violence and tribals of Bastar region.
Between January 2025 and March 2026, around 27 Maoists, including two central committee members, were neutralised by the security forces in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Of them, 17 ultras were killed during a joint operation in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district. While nine Maoists were arrested, 78 surrendered before Odisha Police during the period.
Similarly, over 100 extremists operating in Odisha had surrendered before Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh police due to extensive operations conducted by the security forces in the state. The state is now free from Naxal menace, but deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and special units will continue till next year to prevent any resurgence of LWE, said sources.