Jagdalpur

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday offered prayers at the famous Maa Danteshwari temple in Jagdalpur town, the administrative headquarters of Bastar district, an erstwhile stronghold of Naxals.

He was joined by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, state BJP chief Kiran Singh Deo, and several state ministers during the temple visit.

Shah, who embarked on a two-day visit to Chhattisgarh, is scheduled to participate in 'Muria Darbar', a traditional event held as part of the famous Bastar Dussehra festival.

At Muria Darbar, Shah will interact with priests and tribal community leaders. Later, he will address a gathering at a Swadeshi fair.

Shah has frequently underlined the government's resolve to eradicate Naxalism, largely concentrated in the state's Bastar region, by March 2026.

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Notably, anti-Naxalite operations intensified in Chhattisgarh after the BJP came to power in 2023. Security forces have gunned down over 450 Naxals in multiple encounters since last January, mostly centred in the Bastar region.