Anti-Naxal campaigns to continue in monsoon: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said that for the first time, ant-Naxal operations would continue during the monsoon even as he reiterated his appeal that Naxals lay down arms and join the mainstream. 

“Every time during the rainy season, Naxalites used to get rest, but this time, we will not let them sleep during monsoon and we will move further to achieve the target of 31/3 [2026, to eliminate Naxalism],” Mr. Shah said laying the foundation stone for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus and a Central Forensic Science Lab in Chhattisgarh’s Nava Raipur Atal Nagar.

Even as security forces were mounting an aggressive campaign against Left Wing Extremism with sustained operations in the jungles of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, the rainy season was considered dormant from the point of view of combat because sustained rainfall and floods hamper any action inside dense forests. 

The Home Minister added that all those who laid down their arms and joined the mainstream were welcome and lauded the surrender policy of the State government led by Vishnu Deo Sai. “Lay down arms and join the journey of development; no need for talks. Just give up armed struggle and join the mainstream,” Mr. Shah said, even as he reiterated the March 2026 deadline for the elimination of Naxalism in the country.

‘A historic day’

Virtually inaugurating the temporary campus of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and the I-Hub Raipur, both situated in Nava Raipur, Mr. Shah called the occasion a historic day in the journey to modernise and scientifically strengthen the criminal justice system of Chhattisgarh. Alongside the temporary campus of NFSU, the ground-breaking ceremony for the permanent campus and the foundation of a Central Forensic Science Laboratory were also initiated. These institutions are being developed at a total cost of ₹268 crore.

Academic sessions at the temporary campus will commence from 2025–26, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Forensic Science, Cybersecurity, Psychology, Digital Forensics, and various professional diploma courses. Approximately 180 students are expected to be enrolled in the first batch.

Later in the evening, Mr. Shah chaired a review meeting on Naxalism in Raipur with the top police and administrative officials of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Odisha.