New Delhi, March 30 Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday blamed the Congress for the prolonged Naxal violence, saying it "did nothing" during its rule to end the menace despite acknowledging the seriousness of the problem, and declared that Maoists have almost been eradicated from their stronghold in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
Responding to the debate in the Lok Sabha on 'Efforts to free the country from left-wing extremism (LWE)', Shah said that 12 states had become the "Red Corridor" with no rule of law, 12 crore people had lived in poverty for years, and 20,000 people, including 5,000 security personnel, were killed due to Naxal violence.
"In the end, who is responsible for this? I want to ask, in 75 years, you ruled for 60 years, why have the tribals still been deprived of development? The development of tribals is now being done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.
The Home Minister alleged that for 60 years, the Congress "did not provide houses for the tribals, didn't provide them with water, didn't build schools, didn't extend banking facilities".
"So, first, look into your own reign and see who is at fault," he said in response to some opposition members blaming the Modi government for the violence.
Shah said that the then prime minister Manmohan Singh had acknowledged that Naxalism was a bigger challenge than the problems in Kashmir and the Northeast, but "the Congress did nothing about it".
The debate was held a day before the deadline set by Shah for the elimination of Naxal violence.
Last year, Shah had announced that LWE would end in the country by March 31, 2026, and a major operation had been organised against the Naxals.
Whether in Naxal-affected areas, Jammu and Kashmir, or the Northeast, the Modi government will not tolerate any kind of violence and will take strong action against anyone indulging in such acts, the home minister asserted in the Lok Sabha.
He said that development in Bastar had been stalled because of the shadow of red terror. "Now, this shadow is lifting, and Bastar is developing," he said while lauding security forces and tribals for the success against the Naxals.
The Home Minister made it clear that the Modi government will not spare anyone who picks up arms.
"The biggest achievement of the Modi government is a Naxal-free India; any researcher will accept this," he said.
He said that those advocating Naxalism should know that people who take up arms will have to pay a price.
The solution for addressing injustice is prescribed in the Constitution. Taking up arms is not the answer, he said.
"Today, Naxalism has been almost completely eradicated from Bastar. A campaign was launched to build a school in every village in Bastar. A campaign was launched to open ration shops in every village in Bastar," he said.
Shah also said that all the credit for the success against the Maoists goes to the Central Armed Police Forces personnel, especially the brave soldiers of Cobra and CRPF, security agencies, Chhattisgarh Police, DRG personnel, and tribal inhabitants.