• Source:JND
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday outrightly rejected the ceasefire offer proposed by Maoists, saying if the Naxalites want to surrender, they are most welcome to do so. He added that they can lay down weapons and security forces would not fire a single bullet at them.

Amit Shah's remark is the first reaction by a top central government functionary to the ceasefire offer given by the Naxals about a fortnight ago.

Shah said, "Recently, to spread confusion, a letter was written stating that what has happened so far has been a mistake, that a ceasefire should be declared, and that we (Naxals) want to surrender. I want to say there will be no ceasefire. If you want to surrender, there is no need for a ceasefire. Lay down your arms, not a single bullet will be fired".

He added that if the Naxals want to surrender, a red carpet welcome awaits them with a "lucrative" rehabilitation policy. Shah made these remarks at the valedictory session of a seminar on 'Naxal Mukt Bharat'. In his address, Shah also targeted Left parties for providing an ideological plank to the Left Wing.

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Shah also rejected the arguments that lack of development led to the Maoist violence, saying that it was "red terror" instead that obstructed development in many parts of the country for decades.

The CPI (Maoists) had, almost a fortnight ago, offered a ceasefire following the intensified operations carried out by security forces, including Operation Black Forest along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, in which several top Naxals were eliminated.

The home minister stressed that many people believe merely stopping the killings by Naxals is enough to eradicate Naxalism from India. However, he added, this is not true as Naxalism developed in the country because the ideology was nurtured by people within the society.

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"Why did the Naxal problem arise, grow and develop in the country? Who provided them with ideological support? Until Indian society understands this, the idea of Naxalism and the people in society who provided ideological support, legal support, and financial support, the fight against Naxalism will not end," he said, adding, "We must identify and understand those who continue to nurture the Naxal ideology".

Shah reiterated the government's commitment that the country will be free of Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

(With PTI Inputs)