Although the Centre’s March 31 deadline for eliminating Naxalism has just passed and Home Minister Amit Shah declared in Parliament that India is free from Left Wing Extremism (LWE), senior sources have revealed that security forces remain on high alert. The concern is that underground Naxal groups may attempt to demonstrate that their threat has not disappeared.Officials confirmed that forces are particularly vigilant in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, as intelligence inputs suggest Naxals could plan retaliatory strikes in these states, which have been major centres of LWE activity in recent years.According to sources familiar with developments, cadres who went underground to evade the police and security dragnet following the Centre’s deadline may attempt a significant attack within the next couple of months to signal defiance to the establishment.Chhattisgarh has long been regarded as the last stronghold of LWE violence. Security forces have concentrated efforts on dismantling Naxal hotspots there. However, with the government determined to either eliminate key commanders or secure their surrender, many lower-level leaders have slipped into hiding across neighbouring states such as Telangana, Jharkhand and Odisha.The idea is to lie low till the frenzy over meeting the deadline dies down and then regroup and plan something big, sources said.In light of this possibility, security forces are leaving nothing to chance. They continue to maintain the same level of alertness that has characterised their operations for decades. With intelligence pointing to potential retaliatory action in the states mentioned, strict vigilance is expected to continue for the next two to three months.Meanwhile, exclusive data available with The Tribune shows that between January 1 and March 20, 2026, security operations in Chhattisgarh alone resulted in 26 Naxals being killed, 424 surrendering and 100 being arrested.Responding to a debate on the Naxal issue in the Lok Sabha last week, Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that the problem had been resolved nationwide. He noted that while 126 districts were affected in 2014, only two remain under threat today.He had further said that 706 Naxalites were neutralised in encounters from 2024 to March 2026, adding that 2,218 Naxalites were detained, and 4,839 Naxalites had surrendered during the period.