While speaking about the fight against Naxalism in Lok Sabha, Union Minister Amit Shah said Naxals consider China's Mao Zedong as their ideal and not Tilka Manjhi, Bhagwan Birsa Munda or Bhagat Singh. “Even in selection of their ideals, they resort to imports from abroad,” he added. Shah said Naxalism didn’t spread because of poverty but due to “Left-wing ideology”.