Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, 28 May 2026, declared that Naxalism — a challenge that plagued India for over five decades — had been fully eliminated by 31 March 2026 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah made the assertion at the inauguration of new hostel facilities at Mata Umiya Dham in Ahmedabad, while crediting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government with a sweeping transformation of India's internal security landscape over the past decade.

Key Declarations on Internal Security

Addressing an audience of community leaders, students, donors, and political representatives, Shah said the Modi government had achieved what previous administrations could not — dismantling both terrorism and Naxalism within a single decade. 'Economic transformation has taken place across the country, but there has also been a revolutionary transformation in national security,' he said.

He was unambiguous on the Naxal question: 'Naxalism, which had become a festering problem for five decades, ended on 31 March 2026, under this BJP government.' The claim positions the ruling party's security record as a defining achievement ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.

Demographic Change Commission Announced

Shah also disclosed that the Union Home Ministry has constituted a Demographic Change Commission to investigate what he described as 'unnatural demographic changes' linked to infiltration. He said the commission would examine the causes of such shifts and explore legal remedies. The remarks came in the context of developments in West Bengal, which Shah referenced specifically during his address.

Inauguration of ₹170 Crore Hostel Complex

The occasion was the inauguration of the J.S. Patel Hostel and the Tapasvi Kumar Arvindbhai Patel Girls' Hostel at Mata Umiya Dham. According to organisers, the two 13-storey buildings were constructed at a combined cost of more than ₹170 crore and will accommodate approximately 1,600 students pursuing education in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

Shah was joined at the event by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Rajkot MP Parshottam Rupala, state ministers, and office-bearers of the Umiya Mata Sansthan.

Context and Significance

The claim that Naxalism has been eliminated marks a significant rhetorical milestone. Left-wing extremism had, at its peak, affected over 200 districts across central and eastern India. Security analysts and opposition leaders are likely to scrutinise the declaration closely, given that ground-level assessments of residual Naxal activity have varied. This is the first time a senior Union minister has explicitly named a date — 31 March 2026 — as the endpoint of organised Naxal presence in India.

The Home Ministry's formation of a Demographic Change Commission adds a new institutional dimension to the Centre's approach to infiltration — a politically charged issue that has dominated discourse around West Bengal and border states. With the commission's mandate still being defined, its scope and independence will be closely watched.