Tricolour proudly flies on former Naxal stronghold of Kurregutta Hills, J&K: Amit Shah

New Delhi, Aug 15: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Tricolour now proudly flies on the hill of Kurregutta, once a stronghold of Naxal terror, and in Jammu and Kashmir, where hoisting it used to invite threats. In an X post, Shah said the festival of Independence is being celebrated with great pomp on the hill. "Where once guns roared, now patriotism echoes. The Tricolour waving over the red soil is a symbol of the strength, progress and self-confidence of a Naxal-free new Bastar," he said. The three-day Bastar Tiranga Yatra, which covered nearly 600 kilometres through areas once considered Maoist strongholds, culminated on Friday with the hoisting of the national flag at Kurregutta hills in Bijapur district, adding a new chapter in the region's history. Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap led the motorcycle procession, joined by several public representatives, locals and community leaders. The final destination was Kurregutta, a hill range that had long been regarded as a formidable Maoist hideout on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border and witnessed an extensive anti-Maoist operation by security forces. On the Tiranga Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said millions waved the national flag with joy and pride. "Jammu and Kashmir has charted a journey from fear to freedom under the leadership of Modi Ji. Where hoisting the Tiranga once invited threats, J-K now hosts Tiranga Yatras, with millions waving our National Flag with joy and pride," he said in another X post.