Nizamabad/Hyderabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has been asserting time and again that Naxalism is on its last legs across the country, on Sunday asked Maoists to immediately halt killings and surrender. He was addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad in the afternoon.

The Union Home Minister said: “Pakistan attempted to intimidate us with the Pahalgam terror attack. However, both Pakistan and the world learned about India's strength”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's objective was to not only eradicate terrorism but also eliminate Maoism and Naxalism from within the country, he added.

Addressing farmers at the gathering, he asked them to share whether Naxalism had been eradicated. “I want to hear from you. We will eradicate Naxalism in the country by March 30, 2026. Maoists should stop the violence and reintegrate into society," he said, adding, "already, 10,000 Naxalites have surrendered and returned to the mainstream.” Shah expressed his confidence that the BJP would come to power in Telangana. He observed: "The enthusiasm of the BJP party workers shows that the party's victory is certain."

Shah stated that the BRS government, which had been involved in widespread corruption in the execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) and Dharani portal, was no longer in power.

However, the Congress party, which had taken its place, had turned Telangana into an “ATM for Delhi”, he alleged.

Shah said that Bharat Organic Limited and Bharat Export Limited were being set up in Nizambad. Plans were afoot to export the Nizamabad turmeric to the USA and Europe through Bharat Export Limited.

The Union Home Minister highlighted the achievement of securing a Turmeric Board for Nizamabad, which had been a demand of local farmers for 40 years. Shah mentioned that the Turmeric Board’s headquarters would be established in Nizamabad, allowing turmeric produced by local farmers to be exported worldwide in the future.

State Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, along with Union Ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, and MPs Dharmapuri Arvind, Eatala Rajender, and Dr. K. Laxman, attended the meeting, aside from several other public representatives.