Raipur, Dec 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Naxalism does not benefit anyone – neither those who take up arms nor the security personnel, and asserted that only peace can pave the way for development.

Reiterating the Narendra Modi government’s resolve to end Naxalism by March 31, 2026, he said the Centre has decided to transform Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division, comprising seven districts, the most developed tribal region in the country in the next five years.

Addressing the closing ceremony of Bastar Olympic 2025 sport event at Indira Priyadarshini Stadium in Jagdalpur, the headquarter of state’s Bastar district, Shah said Naxalism was like a “poisonous snake” that stalled the development in the region, and a “new chapter of development” will begin once the menace ends.

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