New Delhi, March 30 (NationPress) Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a vehement critique against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party in the Lok Sabha on Monday, accusing them of fostering Naxalism within the nation.

He targeted Rahul Gandhi for sharing the incendiary slogan “Tum kitne Hidma maroge, ghar ghar se Hidma niklega,” a phrase echoed by supporters of left-wing extremism following the neutralization of notorious Naxal Hidma, who had a bounty on his head for the murder of 172 security personnel.

HM Shah claimed that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have shown unwavering ideological support and leniency towards Naxalites.

During a debate on the eradication of Naxalism in the Lok Sabha, Shah remarked that Rahul Gandhi has been frequently spotted associating with individuals sympathetic to Naxal ideology.

He recounted an incident from 2010 in Odisha, where Rahul shared a platform with Lado Sikaka, who delivered a provocative address and even garlanded him.

In 2018, he met Gummadi Vittal Rao in Hyderabad, a person aligned with Naxal ideologies.

HM Shah vehemently denounced the Congress for its prolonged support of Naxalism during its time in power, highlighting that under Manmohan Singh's government, an extra-constitutional National Advisory Council (NAC) was constituted, comprising individuals linked to Naxalites. One member had ties to an NGO, ‘Aman Vedika’, and was married to a Naxalite leader involved in urban kidnappings. Binayak Sen, convicted in a Naxal-related case in 2010, was appointed to the Planning Commission’s Health Steering Committee.

Jairam Ramesh wrote a letter endorsing the release of known Naxalite Mahesh Raut. Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the UPA government’s own flagship initiatives inadvertently bolstered the morale of Naxalites.

He pointed out that Raut benefited from the Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellowship, a program managed directly from the Prime Minister’s Office, which was later discovered to have connections with Naxalites, resulting in his imprisonment by Maharashtra Police.

HM Shah also recalled the tragic 2010 Dantewada massacre in Chhattisgarh, where Naxalites ambushed and murdered 76 CRPF personnel during P Chidambaram's tenure as Home Minister. The incident was further marred by the fact that certain factions at Jawaharlal Nehru University celebrated the killings.

Students were reportedly seen rejoicing over the deaths of security personnel, even trampling the Indian national flag—an act that went without strong condemnation from the Congress leadership at that time, HM Shah noted.

HM Shah expressed disbelief at Chidambaram’s reaction to the massacre. Despite the loss of 76 soldiers, the former Home Minister allegedly stated that the government could not compel the Naxalites to surrender their arms, as they believed in an armed struggle for their so-called freedom.

Shah criticized this soft and sympathetic stance, asserting that it merely emboldened the extremists rather than diminishing their resolve.

The Home Minister questioned how the morale of security forces could be upheld when the Centre seemed to protect Naxal sympathizers. He contrasted this with the Modi government’s zero-tolerance policy, which has drastically weakened the Maoist network through continuous operations, development initiatives in tribal regions, and leveraging advanced technology.

HM Shah declared that the government is on the cusp of eradicating Naxalism, with substantial leadership structures dismantled and significant surrenders and neutralizations documented.

He paid heartfelt tribute to the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against Naxalism.

He called upon all political parties to transcend narrow interests and support the national mission to rid India of the long-standing menace of left-wing extremism.