Team News Riveting
Raipur, November 7
Several villages in Bastar will celebrate Diwali for the first time following the elimination of Naxalite influence from the region, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said on Saturday.
“The landscape of Bastar has changed significantly after becoming free of Naxal presence. Villagers are celebrating in an atmosphere of joy. The region no longer faces threats where education volunteers are killed or extrajudicial trials are held,” Sharma said while extending Diwali greetings to the residents.
Responding to Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij’s statement claiming Naxalism has not been completely eradicated, Sharma said Baij should account for his own party’s tenure. “He must examine what Congress governments did regarding Naxalism. Those responsible for the Jhiram Ghati attack were their role models. He needs to understand these facts before raising questions,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Addressing the Opposition’s criticism of the Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Sharma noted that the SIR process began in 2025 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. He rejected allegations of voter list manipulation, stating that names of deceased voters and those who relocated were removed following due process. He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party released official data to maintain transparency and counter misleading claims, while expressing concerns over the potential inclusion of illegal infiltrators in past rolls.
Rebuffing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s debate challenge to the Prime Minister, Sharma said Parliament remains the appropriate forum for legislative discussion. He alleged that Opposition leaders routinely absent themselves when discussions on Naxalism and religious conversion take place in the Assembly. He added that political change in a democracy occurs through elections rather than street protests.
On recent political posters released by the BJP, Sharma questioned the funding of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from Chinese entities and raised concerns over meetings between Congress leadership and Communist Party officials in China.
Clarifying the SIR procedure, Sharma stated that the exercise aims to correct discrepancies in voter lists and has been conducted ten times previously without objection. He confirmed that local Booth Level Officers verified voter entries at polling stations, adding that individuals retain the right to apply for voter inclusion at any time.
