Dantewada, April 5 -- Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Naxals would not be able to stop the development of tribals in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region and urged them to lay down arms while asserting that nobody is happy when they are killed.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the state government's 'Bastar Pandum' festival, Shah reiterated that the government is committed to eliminating the Naxal menace by March 2026, adding that those who surrender will become part of the mainstream while the rest will be taken on by security forces.

"The days when bullets were fired and bombs exploded in Bastar are over. I urge Naxalite brothers to lay down arms and join the mainstream. You are our own. No one feels happy when any Naxalite i...