Top Naxal Leader Killed, 54 Arrested, 84 Surrendered: Amit Shah On Operation Black Forest

Amit Shah said CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, popularly known as Basavaraju, was killed along with 26 other Naxals in a gunfight with security personnel in the Bastar region.

File photo of Home Minister Amit Shah.

Source : PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday applauded the landmark achievements of security forces and agencies under Operation Black Forest, in which 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. 

Amit Shah noted that CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, popularly known as Basavaraju, was killed along with 26 other Naxals in a gunfight with security personnel in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.

Shah called Rao the "topmost" leader and the "backbone of the Naxal movement," stating that this marks the "first time in 30 years" of India’s fight against Naxalism that a leader of general secretary rank has been eliminated by security forces. 

"A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement. This is the first time in three decades of Bharat's battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralized by our forces, " Amit Shah said in a post on X.

"I applaud our brave security forces and agencies for this major breakthrough.  Also glad to share that after the completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.  The Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026," he added.

Modi's Govt Dedication To Eradicate Naxalism By March 2026

One security personnel lost their life in the encounter, while others who were injured have been hospitalised and are reported to be out of danger. The Modi government is dedicated to eliminating Naxalism before 31 March 2026, Shah further added. 

Officials stated that during the operation, personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Kondagaon were involved. "It was launched two days ago based on intelligence inputs about the presence of Central Committee and Politburo members of the Maoists, as well as senior Maad Division cadres and PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerilla Army) members," PTI quoted officials as saying.