Celebrating Diwali with Bastar jawans a matter of pride for Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh FM OP Choudhary

Choudhary said the Prime Minister's life has been dedicated to serving the country and society and that he has consistently prioritised national interests over personal celebrations. He noted that whether it is Holi, Diwali or his birthday, Modi has always placed the nation first.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life has been dedicated to the service of the country and society. Whether it is Holi, Diwali or his birthday, he prioritises national interests on every occasion," Choudhary said.

Highlighting the Prime Minister's longstanding association with Bastar, the minister recalled that Modi had launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme from Jangla village in Bijapur district.

He further said under Modi's leadership, the country had moved towards eliminating Naxalism, making his decision to celebrate Diwali with security personnel in the affected region particularly significant.

"The Prime Minister had launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme from Jangla in Bijapur. Under his leadership, the country has moved towards freedom from Naxalism. In such a situation, his decision to celebrate Diwali with jawans in Naxal-affected Bastar is a matter of pride and good fortune for the entire Chhattisgarh," Choudhary said.

Choudhary said the Prime Minister's decision to spend the festival with the jawans reflected his commitment to the security forces and the people of the region.

Earlier today, continuing his tradition of celebrating Diwali alongside the nation's security forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday participated in numerous festivities with security personnel deployed in anti-Naxal operations in Bastar, highlighting the transformation of the region, which was once a Naxal stronghold.

Visiting the CoBRA Operations Base in Karanpur, historically the primary launchpad for operations into Abujhmad and Bastar, PM Modi paid tribute to fallen CRPF heroes at the camp memorial.

In high-spirited scenes of celebration, security forces danced to traditional tribal songs around the Prime Minister. The atmosphere resonated with high-energy chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" as troops celebrated the festival of lights with the Prime Minister in a region once considered a core Naxal stronghold.

Addressing the security personnel earlier at the camp, the Prime Minister said that Diwali 2026 was particularly significant as every district in the country was now free from Naxalism, and crores of citizens had overcome the fear associated with the Maoist insurgency.

"This Diwali in 2026 is truly special! This is the first Diwali since the nation won its decades-long battle against Naxalism and Maoist terror. This is the first Diwali where every single district in the country is free from Naxalism. This is the first Diwali when crores of our citizens have overcome the fear of Naxalism," PM Modi said. (ANI)