BASTAR, Nov 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region and said the country had achieved significant success in its decades-long fight against Maoist violence and extremism.
Addressing the personnel, Modi said this was the first Diwali after every district in the country became free of Maoist activity. He said crores of people had been freed from the fear of Maoist violence and credited the security forces for the achievement.
He said he had come to Bastar on behalf of the country's 140 crore citizens to express gratitude for the courage, sacrifice, dedication and sustained efforts of the personnel.
“Armed Naxalites have been eliminated, but intellectual Naxals have taken control of various organisations. Even today, they incite people against the Constitution and democracy,” Modi said.
Modi alleged that such ideological Maoists had entered several political parties and organisations. He said they needed to be identified and defeated to ensure the country's security.
The Prime Minister also claimed that, for the first time in 47 years, no Central Reserve Police Force personnel had been killed while on duty in the past year. He praised the CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, SSB, IRB, state police forces, Bastar Fighters, special forces and women commandos.
Modi said the sacrifices of security personnel had created an atmosphere of peace and development in Bastar, once known as a stronghold of Maoist activity. It was his 13th Diwali as Prime Minister, celebrated with security personnel outside Delhi.
