Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday urged Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar to lay down arms and join the mainstream.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Chhattisgarh government’s cultural festival "Bastar Pandum", Shah said the Centre was committed to eliminating the Maoist menace by March next year and the rebels would not be able to stop the development of the tribals of Bastar.

He appealed to Maoists to surrender themselves, promising government protection.

“The days when bullets were fired and bombs went off in Bastar are over. I urge Naxalite brothers to lay down arms and join the mainstream. You are our own people. No one rejoices when a Naxalite is killed. Just surrender your weapons and join the mainstream. You cannot stop the development of your tribal brothers and sisters by taking up arms,” he said.

Building a strong case for the development of the region, Shah said: “This region needs development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to give everything to Bastar in five years. Bastar has not seen development for 50 years. But it can happen only when children go to school and tehsils have health facilities... When every person has an Aadhaar card, ration card and health insurance.”

Shah said development could happen only when the people of Bastar decided to make “their homes and villages Naxalite-free”.

The Chhattisgarh government has already announced that the villages that declare themselves Maoist-free will be sanctioned development funds of ₹1 crore.

“We have been moving ahead with a two-pronged approach against extremism. Those who understand that there is no need for arms, IEDs and grenades for development but computers and pens have surrendered. A total of 521 Naxalites have laid down arms so far in 2025, while 881 surrendered in 2024. Those who surrender will become part of the mainstream and those who do not will be taken on by the security forces,” Shah said.

“Instead of bhay (fear), Bastar will be synonymous with bhavishya (future),” he added.

86 rebels surrender

As many as 86 Maoists, including four area committee members (ACMs), from Chhattisgarh surrendered in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Saturday.

Bhadradri Kothagudem superintendent of police B. Rohith Raju told PTI the four ACMs were carrying a reward of ₹4 lakh each.