CM Nayab Saini Spends Diwali with Security Forces in Bastar
Synopsis
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini spent Diwali 2026 in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, celebrating the festival with security forces deployed in the LWE-affected region, calling them an 'inseparable part of my family.'
Key Takeaways
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini travelled to Bastar, Chhattisgarh to celebrate Diwali 2026 with security personnel on deployment.
Saini called the security forces 'an inseparable part of my family' dedicated to the defence of the nation.
Bastar remains one of India's most active counter-insurgency zones, with central paramilitary forces deployed for anti-Naxal operations.
The visit follows a longstanding bipartisan tradition of Indian political leaders spending major festivals with forces in conflict-affected areas.
Saini has served as Haryana Chief Minister since March 2024 and has cultivated a public image of grassroots accessibility.
When the lamps of Diwali lit up on Sunday, November 8, 2026, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was not in Chandigarh — he was in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, celebrating the festival with the security personnel deployed in one of India's most demanding counter-insurgency theatres.
Posting on X in Hindi, Saini wrote: 'Rashtra ki raksha mein samarpit Maa Bharati ke veer bete-betiyan mere parivaar ka abhinn hissa hain.' ('The brave sons and daughters of Mother India dedicated to the nation's defence are an inseparable part of my family.') He added that he had come to Bastar specifically to celebrate the joy of Diwali with this 'family.'
Why Bastar — and Why It Matters
Bastar is not a routine festival backdrop. The region in southern Chhattisgarh has been the epicentre of Left Wing Extremism for decades, with central paramilitary forces maintaining a sustained presence as part of ongoing anti-Naxal operations. For the men and women on deployment there, major festivals like Diwali pass far from home and family.
That is precisely what gives these visits their symbolism. Indian political leaders across party lines have long made it a practice to spend major festivals — Diwali, Holi, Eid — at paramilitary and army camps in conflict-affected zones. The gesture signals solidarity with personnel who trade the festival hearth for a forward post, and it places the visiting leader in a frame of national service rather than political ceremony.
A BJP Chief Minister, a Congress-Governed State, One Shared Occasion
The visit carries a quiet political undertone worth noting: Nayab Singh Saini leads Haryana, a state governed by the BJP, while Chhattisgarh is governed by the same party since December 2023. The cross-state visit to Bastar reinforces a broader BJP political messaging around security-force solidarity — but it also sits within a genuinely bipartisan tradition that predates any single party's hold on power.
Saini, who took charge as Haryana Chief Minister in March 2024, has built a public profile around grassroots accessibility. Choosing to spend Diwali with jawans in a Naxal-affected district rather than at an official function at home extends that image into the national-security register.
The soldiers and paramilitary personnel in Bastar light their own diyas tonight — and this year, they had a Chief Minister among them.
Point of View
Genuinely low on controversy, and effective across ideological lines. By situating himself in an active insurgency zone rather than an official durbar, he reinforces a BJP messaging arc that ties civilian leadership to national-security sacrifice. The choice of Bastar specifically — not a cantonment or a ceremonial parade — sharpens the signal: this is not a photo-op at a peace-time base, but an acknowledgement of a live operational frontier. Whether or not it moves policy, it moves perception.
NationPress
8 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini go to Bastar for Diwali?
Saini travelled to Bastar to celebrate Diwali with security forces deployed in the region, calling them an inseparable part of his family. It is part of a longstanding tradition of Indian leaders spending major festivals with personnel serving in conflict-affected areas.
Where is Bastar and why are security forces deployed there?
Bastar is a district in southern Chhattisgarh with a long history of Left Wing Extremism. Central paramilitary forces are deployed there as part of ongoing anti-Naxal operations, often far from their home states during festivals.
Who is Nayab Singh Saini?
Nayab Singh Saini is the Chief Minister of Haryana and a BJP leader who assumed office in March 2024.
Is it common for Indian politicians to visit security forces on Diwali?
Yes. Indian political leaders across parties have a longstanding practice of visiting security personnel at forward deployments during major festivals like Diwali as a gesture of solidarity.
What did Nayab Singh Saini say about the security forces in Bastar?
Saini called them 'the brave sons and daughters of Mother India dedicated to the nation's defence' and described them as 'an inseparable part of my family.'
