Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend Diwali in Bastar with Central Armed Police Forces and Chhattisgarh Police personnel, a trip announced by him on X and reported on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
- Modi said Bastar was once under Naxal influence but now shows signs of development, and he will publicly salute the security personnel for their sacrifices and service.
- Official and media accounts report sustained deployments of CAPF and Chhattisgarh Police in Bastar and credit long-running operations with pushing back Maoist cadres.
- The government has this year framed its counterinsurgency campaign as having delivered mass surrenders and leader eliminations that have greatly weakened Naxal networks.
- The visit continues Modi’s long-standing Diwali practice of celebrating with troops at sensitive postings and will serve both as a morale gesture for forces and a high-visibility political signal about security and local development.