New Delhi [India], September 16 (HBTV): Union Home Minister Amit Shah met and felicitated personnel of the CRPF, Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG) and CoBRA Battalion who successfully carried out Operation Black Forest on Karreguttalu Hill. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma were also present.
Shah congratulated the jawans for displaying courage in what he described as the biggest anti-Naxal operation ever conducted on Karreguttalu Hill. He said their bravery would be remembered as a golden chapter in the history of anti-Naxal operations, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Under Operation Black Forest, security forces neutralised 27 Maoists on May 21 in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist. Shah had earlier praised the forces for the breakthrough, calling it a landmark achievement in the battle against Naxalism.
The Home Minister said the Modi government would not rest until every Naxalite either surrenders, is caught, or eliminated. He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government aims to make India free from Naxalism.
Highlighting the conditions of the operation, Shah noted that despite the heat, high altitude, and risk of IEDs, the security forces succeeded in destroying the Naxalite base camp, material dump and supply chain on Karreguttalu Hill.
He said Naxalites had inflicted extensive harm on underdeveloped regions by shutting down schools and hospitals and obstructing government schemes. However, he stressed that anti-Naxal operations have brought a new dawn to the lives of 6.5 crore people across the region from Pashupatinath to Tirupati.
Shah also said the government is committed to supporting security personnel injured in anti-Naxal operations and reiterated that the goal of a Naxal-free India will be achieved by March 31, 2026.
(ANI)