Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday outlined the steps taken by the BJP-led government to strengthen internal security and said Naxalism will be eliminated from the country by March 21, 2026.
Replying to the debate on the functioning of his ministry in Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah spoke about the steps taken by the government to tackle terrorism in J-K, the Naxal challenge, drug abuse, and issues in the Northeast.
He said the country would be free of the “Naxal problem” during the term of the BJP-led government.
“I say it in this House with responsibility that Naxalism in this country will be eliminated by March 21, 2026,” he said.
Amit Shah spoke about the steps taken by the government to provide accurate intelligence to security forces dealing with Naxalites and expressed pity for those who believe Naxalism is merely a political issue.
“When Narendra Modi Government was elected to power in 2014, we received several legacy issues from prior to 2014. The security and development of this country were always challenged due to three main issues. These three issues caused obstruction to the peace of the country, raised questions on the security of the country, and slowed the pace of development for almost four decades; they also made the country’s entire system appear laughable at times,” he said.
“These three issues were terrorism in J-K, Leftist insurgency, which aimed to extend from Tirupati to Pashupatinath, and the Northeast insurgency. When combined, these three issues have led to the deaths of around 92,000 citizens over four decades. A well-planned effort was never made to eliminate these challenges. PM Narendra Modi took those efforts after coming to power,” he added.
Amit Shah said 21 members shared their views on the functioning of his ministry.
“Efforts were made to address various aspects of the MHA’s work. First of all, I express my gratitude to thousands of state police and central paramilitary force jawans who made the supreme sacrifice to strengthen the country’s internal security as well as its borders,” he said.
Amit Shah said several crimes, such as narcotics trafficking and cybercrime, have inter-state and even international dimensions.
“In a way, the Home Ministry operates under very difficult conditions. The Constitution has given the responsibility of law and order to states, while border security and internal security come under the MHA. This is a correct decision, and there is no need for any changes. However, after 76 years, we now face a situation where many crimes are not confined to state borders—they are inter-state and even multi-state, such as narcotics, cybercrime, organized crime gangs, and hawala transactions,” he said.
“All these crimes do not take place just within a state. Several crimes are committed in the country, even orchestrated from outside its borders. So, keeping all this in view, it becomes essential to make changes in the MHA. I say this with pride that in 10 years, PM Narendra Modi made long-overdue changes to the MHA at once to ensure national security,” he added.
Amit Shah also spoke about the changes in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
“After the removal of Article 370, the involvement of Indian youth with terrorists has almost disappeared. Ten years ago, terrorist glorification was common, and funeral processions would take place. But now, when terrorists are killed, they are buried on the spot. Relatives of terrorists who once enjoyed government perks have been dismissed from government posts to send a strong message,” he said.
“I want to thank our Constitution makers for making Article 370 temporary and providing a solution for its removal within the same article. However, vote bank politics kept it safeguarded. But on August 5, 2019, PM Modi took the historic step of removing it, marking the beginning of a new era of Kashmir’s integration with the rest of India,” he said.
(Inputs from ANI)
