“Naxals formed the CPI (Marxist) with two objectives — armed revolution and opposition to parliamentary politics — and these are the same people who are today’s Maoists,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament.
He made these remarks on March 30 in the Lok Sabha while replying to the discussion on Red Terror, outlining the history, evolution, and spread of Maoist organisations in India.
Amit Shah said that in 1975, as soon as they received support from the Congress, the MCC (Maoist Communist Centre) was formed and it became a central party in Bihar and Jharkhand. He added that the PWG (People’s War Group) was formed in 1980, which was Andhra-centric, and that in 1982, the CPI (ML) Party Unity was formed in Bihar with the objective of Dalit-Kisan Central Armed Struggle.
Shah said that in 2000, the PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) was created and a guerrilla force was established, and in 2004, the PWG and MCC merged.
The Home Minister said that the Naxalite movement began in the 1970s from Naxalbari and Bengal, noting that in the single year of 1971, there were 3,620 incidents of violence there.
He added that by the 1980s, the People’s War Group was formed and the movement spread to the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha, and that in the 1990s, mergers started between extremist groups and Left-wing parties. Shah said that in 2004, two major groups merged and formed the CPI (Maoist).
He stated that from 1970 to 2004, except for four years, the entire period was under the rule of the main opposition party.
Amit Shah said that the movement that started from Naxalbari spread to 12 states, covering 17% of the country’s land area and more than 10% of its population. He added that without the support of those in power, it would have been impossible to create a Red Corridor right in the middle of the country, stretching from Tirupati to Pashupatinath.
चाहे नक्सलियों से मिलना हो, या उनका समर्थन करना हो, राहुल गांधी हमेशा नक्सलियों के साथ खड़े दिखते हैं। pic.twitter.com/ja7hos72Ef
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 30, 2026
He said that 92% of the weapons seized were looted from the police, adding that police stations and bullets were looted and used to kill innocent jawans, children, and farmers.
The Home Minister stated that the Left-wing ideology propagated this through propaganda as if it were a delusion, spreading the narrative that arms were being picked up to escape injustice in order to sustain their ideology.
On socio-economic indicators, HM said that the literacy rate in Naxalbari was 32%, in Bastar it was 23%, in Saharsa, Bihar it was 33%, and in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh it was 31%. He added that the per capita income in Naxalbari was ₹500, in Bastar it was ₹190, in Saharsa ₹299, and in Ballia ₹374, noting that per capita income in all four regions was more or less similar.
Shah said that Left-wing extremism flourished in Naxalbari and Bastar, but not in Saharsa and Ballia, explaining that this happened because the geography of Saharsa and Ballia was not favourable to them. He stated that there were no dense forests, rivers and streams, or hills to hide in, and that there was no favourable condition to carry weapons, conduct their movement, suppress the tribals, or forcibly link them with their ideology.
He questioned that if development were the criterion, then why did Naxalism not spread in many other underdeveloped parts of the country in 1970.
On the government’s stand, Shah said that “this is not a government that gets scared, but one that delivers justice to everyone.”
He stated that in 2014, Narendra Modi came to power and by 2026, the end of all of them has been achieved, adding that this is their 101-year history from 1925 to 2026.
He said that these people should not be glorified by calling their history a struggle against injustice, and added that they want to capture power through bullets instead of votes.
Shah stated that some people do not understand through dialogue, and in such cases, force has to be used to protect innocent citizens from their atrocities.
He added that this is the government led by Narendra Modi and that the security of every citizen has been ensured, stating that whoever commits injustice against citizens if they understand, it is fine; otherwise, this force has been created for this very purpose. He concluded that results will come and that they have already started coming.
