By Mukesh 
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday (March 30, 2026) accused the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of failing to curb left-wing extremism in the country. In response, the Congress said several efforts had been made during that time, including the launch of Operation Green Hunt and the creation of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) to address the Maoist threat.
During a discussion in the Lok Sabha on “efforts to free the country from left-wing extremism”, Shrikant Shinde of the Shiv Sena accused the then UPA government of lacking the political will to contain Maoist activities, but the Congress’s Saptagiri Ulaka said the party had taken several measures to curb LWE and had lost senior leaders to the violence.
Mr Shinde, who initiated the discussion, said that under the BJP rule, the “red corridor” had shrunk significantly and had been replaced by a growth corridor. He alleged that earlier governments had failed to intervene in time as they were “majboor (helpless)” rather than “mazboot (strong)”.
The debate comes after Union Home Minister announced that left-wing extremism would be eliminated by March 31, 2026.
Accusing the Congress of “policy paralysis”, Mr. Shinde said the party compromised national security and failed to tackle the Maoist threat decisively.
Citing official data, Mr. Shinde said 317 Maoists were killed, 862 were arrested, and around 1,900 surrendered last year. In 2024-25, 28 Maoist leaders — including six central committee members — were killed, while 630 cadres had surrendered so far in 2026. “These statistics show that we have moved from bullet to ballot.”
Referring to Gadchiroli and Nandurbar districts in Maharashtra, he said that between 2014 and 2019, there were 1,500 Maoist attacks in the State, resulting in 536 deaths. However, the situation had now completely changed.
He said that Gadchiroli, once known for Naxalism, was now moving towards becoming a steel hub. In 2014, there were 550 active Maoist cadres in Maharashtra, which had reduced to 56 in 2026. In Gadchiroli and Gondia, only 24 active Maoists remained, and the rate of violence had dropped to minimal levels.
In response, Mr. Ulaka said the UPA government laid equal emphasis on welfare and security and believed that bullets alone could not stop Maoism.
Byreddy Shabari of the Telugu Desam Party said she had lost family members to Maoist violence and credited the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for pushing the insurgency towards decline.
Sambit Patra of the BJP claimed that the difference between the NDA and the UPA lay in their approach, claiming the present government had clarity and resolve while the previous regime suffered from “confusion”. He alleged that individuals sympathetic to “urban Naxals” had been part of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Committee during the UPA years and alleged that an intellectual close to the Congress had referred to Naxals as “Gandhians with guns”.
From the Opposition benches, Mahua Moitra of the Trinamool Congress questioned the timing of the debate, saying a far more serious crisis in West Asia was affecting India, with people facing shortages of LPG and fuel, and rising airfares.
Samajwadi Party member Dharmendra Yadav said the country had not yet been freed of Maoism but acknowledged that the magnitude of the problem had diminished significantly.