Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday led the greetings for Union Home Minister Amit Shah on his 62nd birthday, crediting him with making India’s internal security machinery more effective and singling out the campaign against Maoism.
He described the progress against Maoism as particularly noteworthy, and also pointed to the push towards a drug-free society. The Prime Minister wished Shah a long and healthy life in service of the people. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also greeted the Home Minister. He added that the country would be officially declared free of Left-wing extremism once final formalities were completed.
Because of Maoist violence, and said the region’s residents were now receiving housing, gas connections, drinking water and insurance cover, he argued that Bastar had been denied development.
In a post on X, Modi said Shah’s administrative understanding had made the country’s internal security systems more effective.
Modi’s reference to Maoism comes seven months after Shah made a major claim in Parliament. On March 30, a day before the government’s self-imposed deadline, Shah told the Lok Sabha that India had virtually become Naxal-free, with the Maoists’ central and state leadership structures almost completely eliminated. The March 31, 2026 target had been set well in advance. Shah reiterated it in Raipur in June 2025, saying nearly 40,000 people had died in Maoist violence over 35 years. In 2025 he also said no ceasefire would be offered to the insurgents. In his Lok Sabha statement, Shah gave figures for the last three years: 4,839 Maoists surrendered, 2,218 were arrested and 706 were killed in encounters.
