India, April 5 -- Development cannot be blocked with bullets and bombs, union home minister Amit Shah said in Chhattisgarh on Saturday.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the state government's Bastar Pandum festival, Shah emphasised the government's determination to end Maoism by March 2026 and urged Maoists to surrender, assuring them of safety and integration into the mainstream.

"The era of violence in Bastar is coming to an end. I appeal to my Maoist brothers to give up arms and join the mainstream. No one rejoices when a Maoist is killed-they are our own. But development cannot be blocked with bullets and bombs," Shah said.

Shah added that those who surrender will receive full protection and support from both the Union and state...