Modi govt won't rest till all Naxals surrender, caught or eliminated: Amit Shah

New Delhi: The Modi government will not rest until the naxals "either surrender, are caught or eliminated", Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday, as he emphasised that the Left Wing Extremists have caused "great damage" to the least developed areas of the country.

He was speaking after felicitating the CRPF, Chhattisgarh Police, DRG and Cobra jawans who successfully carried out 'Operation Black Forest' on Karreguttalu hill.

He said the bravery and valour of the personnel who participated in the 19-day operation, during which 30 naxals were killed will be remembered as a "golden chapter" in the history of the anti-naxal operations.

"Despite heat, altitude and danger of IEDs at every step, the security forces made the operation successful with high spirits and destroyed the base camp of the Naxalites...The material dump and supply chain of the naxals built on the Karreguttalu hill were destroyed," he said at the function, which was also attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai and his Deputy Vijay Sharma.

"We will not rest until all the Naxalites either surrender, are caught or eliminated, we will make India naxal-free," he said adding the Modi government and the Chhattisgarh government are committed to making the lives of soldiers who were martyred or injured in anti-naxal operations and their families easier.

Shah said naxals have caused great damage to the least developed areas of the country, shutting down schools, hospitals and not allowing government schemes to reach the people.

"Due to anti-naxal operations, there has been a new sunrise in the lives of 6.5 crore people in the area from Pashupatinath to Tirupati," he said, adding the Modi government is committed to make the country free from naxalism by March 31 next year.