Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday met and felicitated personnel of the CRPF, Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and CoBRA Battalion who executed the landmark ‘Operation Black Forest’ on Karreguttalu Hill in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma were also present at the ceremony.
Congratulating the jawans, Shah hailed the mission as the biggest anti-Naxal operation ever carried out in the region, calling their courage and sacrifice a “golden chapter in India’s fight against Naxalism.”
On May 21, security forces achieved a major breakthrough by neutralising 27 Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist. Shah had earlier described the operation as a turning point in the decades-long battle against Naxal insurgency.
Reiterating the government’s resolve, Shah said, “The Modi government will not rest until every Naxalite either surrenders, is captured, or eliminated. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, we will make India completely Naxal-free.”
He praised the forces for successfully overcoming extreme heat, altitude challenges, and the threat of IEDs to dismantle the Naxal base camp, supply chain, and material dumps on Karreguttalu Hill.
Shah emphasised that Naxalites had long obstructed development in India’s most underdeveloped regions by preventing schools, hospitals, and welfare schemes from reaching the people. However, he said anti-Naxal operations are now bringing a “new sunrise” for nearly 6.5 crore citizens across affected areas stretching from Pashupatinath to Tirupati.
Highlighting the government’s support for injured personnel, Shah assured that steps are being taken to improve the welfare of security forces and reaffirmed the Centre’s target of making India Naxal-free by March 31, 2026.
