Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday said that efforts to curb Naxalism in India cannot be attributed to a single government but it was a collective effort.
Speaking to ANI, Chaturvedi accused the present regime of claiming sole credit for ending Naxalism and termed it “unfortunate.”
“The action against Naxalism began during the UPA era, and now they are trying to take credit for its end. This cannot be the contribution of just one government. It is a continuous process. If someone tries to claim sole credit for it, that is unfortunate,” she said.
Congress denies claims of shielding Naxalites in Chhattisgarh
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Manickam Tagore rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s charge that the Congress government in Chhattisgarh had “shielded Naxalites.”
Tagore refuted the allegations, defending the Congress and stating that the party had lost several leaders in the fight against Naxalism. He asserted that the credit for combating Naxalism should go to security forces rather than political leaders.
“We expected the Home Minister to speak in his official capacity, but he spoke like a BJP leader. His speech was disappointing and full of political allegations, with no truth to the accusations. The Congress party has sacrificed many of its leaders in the fight against Naxalite attacks. The credit should go to the security forces, not to the Home Minister, who is engaging in political rhetoric,” he told ANI.
Amit Shah accuses Rahul Gandhi of supporting Naxalism
The remarks came after Amit Shah on Monday launched a sharp attack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of supporting Naxalism “throughout his political career.”
Shah also criticised Gandhi for reposting a video of a protest at India Gate, where slogans were allegedly raised in support of Naxal leader Madvi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter with security forces in Andhra Pradesh in November last year.
“When Hidma was killed, slogans were raised at India Gate saying, ‘Kitne Hidma maroge, har ghar se Hidma niklega.’ Rahul Gandhi shared that video. How can they escape responsibility? They have supported Naxalism since the 1970s. The Congress party’s left-wing ideology is responsible for the deaths of 20,000 people,” Shah said while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on efforts to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism.
The “Naxal Mukt Bharat” (Naxal-free India) mission is a strategic initiative of the Union Home Ministry under the Modi government to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism by March 31, 2026.
(With ANI inputs)