Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday rejected a reported Naxal offer of a ceasefire and called on Maoist cadres to surrender and lay down their weapons, saying security forces would not fire if they came forward unarmed. Shah made the remarks at the valedictory session of a seminar on “Naxal Mukt Bharat” in the national capital.

Shah said a recent letter — which he described as an attempt to “spread confusion” — suggested the insurgents regretted past actions and sought a ceasefire. He was unequivocal in his response: “There will be no ceasefire.” As reported by ANI, he added, “If you want to surrender, there's no need for a ceasefire. Lay down your weapons. The police won't fire a single bullet.”

Striking a firm tone, Shah accused political and civil-society actors who welcomed the purported ceasefire offer of being out of touch with victims’ realities. He specifically criticised sections of the Left, saying they had urged the Centre to halt Operation Black Forest, the campaign against left-wing extremism. “Why do they need to protect them...why don't NGOs come forward to protect human rights of victim tribals? Have all the people who write these lengthy articles and advise us ever written an article for the tribal victims? Why are they not concerned about this?” ANI quoted him as saying.

Reiterating the government’s target to eliminate Naxalism, Shah said India would be free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026, while adding that operations would continue until cadres were rehabilitated into the mainstream. He defended the twin approach of enforcement and rehabilitation: the government will both arrest active Naxalites and offer an incentivised surrender policy — but, he insisted, when insurgents take up arms and attack civilians, “bullets must be answered with bullets.”