Bastar Villages Celebrate Diwali for First Time After End of Naxal Influence: Vijay Sharma
Raipur: Several villages in Bastar are celebrating Diwali for the first time in an atmosphere of freedom and joy following the elimination of Naxalite influence from the region, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said on Saturday, describing the change as a significant transformation in the tribal belt once plagued by Maoist violence.
Extending Diwali greetings to the people of Chhattisgarh, Sharma said the region had witnessed a remarkable change after becoming free from Naxal presence. He said villagers could now celebrate festivals without fear, while children and education volunteers could pursue their activities without the threat of violence.
“Bastar’s landscape has changed significantly. There is now an atmosphere of happiness, and villagers are celebrating Diwali. The days when education volunteers were killed and people faced so-called people’s courts are behind us,” Sharma said.
Responding to Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij’s assertion that Naxalism had not been completely eradicated, Sharma asked the Congress leader to introspect on his party’s record when it was in power. He alleged that those responsible for the Jhiram Ghati massacre were regarded as role models by the Congress and said Baij should take these facts into account before questioning the government’s claims.
On the Congress’s criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Sharma said the exercise was initiated in 2025, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term, to remove discrepancies from voter lists. He maintained that names of deceased voters and those who had shifted from their registered addresses were deleted after due verification.
He said the BJP had made relevant data public to ensure transparency and counter what he described as misleading allegations of voter list manipulation. Sharma also expressed concern over the possibility of illegal infiltrators finding a place in electoral rolls if discrepancies were not addressed.
Clarifying the procedure, he said the revision exercise had been conducted on 10 previous occasions and involved verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at polling stations. He added that eligible citizens could apply for inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls.
Taking a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate, Sharma said Parliament was the appropriate forum for discussions on legislative and national issues. He alleged that Opposition leaders often remained absent when issues such as Naxalism and religious conversion were debated in the state Assembly.
He said political change in a democracy should come through elections rather than street protests.
Referring to the BJP’s recent political posters targeting the Congress, Sharma raised questions about alleged funding received by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from Chinese entities and meetings between Congress leaders and Communist Party officials in China.
