Armed Maoists have been eliminated, but mental Naxals are targeting democracy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Sunday that armed Maoists have come to an end in the country, but now 'mental Naxals' (dimagi Naxals) have infiltrated various political parties and institutions to incite people against the Constitution and democracy. He emphasized that such elements must be identified and defeated to ensure the security of the nation.

The Prime Minister made these remarks during a Diwali celebration with security personnel at a CRPF camp in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. Following tradition, he had arrived to spend the festival with the country's brave soldiers. On this occasion, he was seen wearing a military-style camouflage uniform and cap. According to a report by Business Standard, the Prime Minister stated that while armed Naxals have disappeared from the forests, supporters of their ideology—the mental Naxals—have taken control of various institutions.

Accusing previous governments, the Prime Minister said that at one time, more than 230 districts across nearly 20 states were affected by Left-wing extremism. Life would come to a standstill there after sunset, affecting thousands of villages and crores of people. Approximately 2,000 Naxal attacks occurred every year. He added that this land was soaked in the blood of our brave soldiers, but no 'honourables' living in palaces shed tears or expressed grief. Attacks were occurring almost every day, somewhere or the other.

Modi further stated that between 2004 and 2013, more security personnel were killed annually than Naxals. The governments of that time had left Naxalism unresolved, treating it as an incurable disease. The Prime Minister said that no country can function by adopting such an approach towards its enemies. To move the country forward, it is necessary to crush enemies with firm determination and well-planned strategies. He said that when he got the opportunity to serve Bharat Mata in 2014, the lack of political will in the country was removed.

The Prime Minister noted that since 2014, there has been a change in the condition and morale of the security forces. In the last year, for the first time in 47 years, no CRPF personnel has died on duty. He termed this a victory for the country's true policies and strong political will. He also mentioned that several strict and undisclosed decisions have been taken by the government to strengthen national security, which have dealt a major blow to the funding of Naxals and separatists.

According to the Prime Minister, the destruction of fake currency networks has broken the economic backbone of the Naxals and choked their supply lines. As a result, the supply of weapons has stopped and control has been established over Naxal recruitment as well. He also alleged that previous governments used to tie the hands of security forces during field operations and did not provide the freedom to effectively retaliate against Maoist attacks. On 31 March this year, the government declared the country Naxal-free.

On the occasion of Independence Day in August, the Prime Minister had also mentioned 'mental Naxals', stating that while the country has succeeded in eliminating armed Naxalism, supporters of its ideology are looking for opportunities to promote violence.