India will be free of Naxalism in a year, govt will not tolerate terrorism: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Noting that the country will be free of Naxalism in a year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the Modi government will neither tolerate terrorism nor terrorists and no one dares to carry out bomb blasts in the country, as happened during the UPA government.

The minister, who replied to debate in Rajya Sabha on the working of his ministry, targeted DMK and said some people were using language as a cover to hide their scams and corruption. He said Home Ministry has worked to strengthen the morale of security personnel by establishing strong political will and a robust legislative framework.

#WATCH | Replying to the discussion on the workings of MHA in Rajya Sabha, HM Amit Shah says, “..I say it in this House with responsibility that naxalism in this country will be eliminated by 21st March 2026…” pic.twitter.com/aGGHdzKB7o

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025

The Home Minister stated that the security, development, and sovereignty of this country have always been challenged by three major problems — terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Left-wing extremism, and insurgency in the Northeast. He mentioned that these three deep-rooted issues have disrupted the peace of the country for almost four decades, raised questions on the country’s security, and hindered the pace of national development.

Shah added that due to these three problems, nearly 92,000 citizens of the country had lost their lives over the span of four decades. He further stated that before Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, no coordinated efforts had been made for the complete eradication of these deep-rooted issues. He said that terrorism, Naxalism and extremism are on the verge of ending under Modi government.

#WATCH | In Rajya Sabha, HM Amit Shah says, “…I would like to say something so that those who divide the country in the name of language do not get their agenda. Under the Department of Official Language, Narendra Modi Govt has set up Indian Languages Section which will work to… pic.twitter.com/XKCPweIhDm

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025

The Home Minister stated that earlier, in Kashmir, terrorists would frequently infiltrate from a neighboring country, carry out bomb blasts and murders, and the attitude of the then central governments towards these incidents was lenient.

They would remain silent, afraid to speak out, and were also fearful of losing their vote bank. He mentioned that after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism was adopted. He said that the government responded to terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama through surgical and aerial strikes.

He further stated that, in the past, only Israel and the United States were the two countries that were always ready to protect their borders and military forces. He said India also does the same now and policy of zero tolerance against terrorism has been initiated.

The minister said that the root cause of separatism in Kashmir was Article 370. He mentioned that due to political compulsion and vote bank politics, Article 370 continued for many years. He said that in Jammu and Kashmir, Dogri, Hindi, and Urdu were granted the status of official languages of the state, an anti-corruption bureau was established and all national laws were also adopted in the region.

He also mentioned that Formula 4 car racing took place in Srinagar, and that celebration of Krishna Janmashtami was held at Lal Chowk.

The Home Minister stated that between 2004 and 2014, there were 7,217 terrorist incidents, but from 2014 to 2024, this number dropped to 2,242. During this period, the total number of deaths decreased by 70%, the number of civilian deaths decreased by 81%, and the causalities of security personnel decreased by 50%. From 2010 to 2014, an average of 2,654 organized stone-pelting incidents occurred every year, but in 2024, not a single such incident occurred. There were 132 organized strikes, but now there are none. In stone-pelting incidents, 112 civilians were killed, and 6,000 were injured, but now stone-pelting itself has stopped. In 2004, there were 1,587 terrorist incidents, while in 2024, this number was reduced to just 85. In 2004, the number of civilian deaths was 733, but in 2024, it was reduced to 26, and the number of security forces’ deaths dropped from 331 in 2004 to 31 in 2024.

Amit Shah stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved 63 projects worth Rs 80,000 crore for the development of Kashmir in 2015. Out of these, Rs 51,000 crore was spent, and 53 projects have been fully implemented. He mentioned that between 2019 and 2024, 40,000 government jobs were provided, 1.51 lakh OBC children were given self-employment opportunities through the Vishwakarma Yojana, 5,184 youth clubs are working on skill development, and 18,000 youths were provided with their own taxis.

He further said that by introducing an attractive industrial policy, Rs 12,000 crore worth of investments have been realized on the ground in Kashmir, and MoUs worth Rs 1,10,000 crore are currently being implemented. Shri Shah highlighted that in the entire 70 years before, only Rs 14,000 crore worth of investment had come to the region, while in the 10 years of PM Modi’s leadership, Rs 12,000 crore worth of investment has already started yielding production. Tourism in Kashmir has also restarted, with a record 2.11 crore tourists visiting in 2023. He added that Rs 250 crore has been invested in tourism.

He said Jammu and Kashmir has AIIMS, IITs, and IIMs. There were only four medical colleges earlier, but now there are 15, along with 15 new nursing colleges. He said that he wanted to responsibly inform the House that by March 31, 2026, Naxalism will be eradicated from the country.

The Union Home Minister stated that between 2004 and 2014, there were 16,463 violent incidents, but in the last ten years, this number has decreased by 53%. He mentioned that from 2004 to 2014, 1,851 security personnel were martyred, but in the past ten years, the number of security personnel killed dropped to 509, a reduction of 73%. The number of civilian deaths decreased from 4,766 to 1,495, which is a 70% reduction.

The Union Home Minister stated that from 2014 to 2024, 11,503 kilometers of highways were constructed in Naxal-affected areas. Additionally, 20,000 kilometers of rural roads were built. In the first phase, 2,343 mobile towers were installed, and in the second phase, 2,545 towers were set up. The work of installing 4,000 mobile towers is still ongoing. Shri Shah mentioned that the entire Naxal-affected region will be equipped with mobile connectivity by December 1st.

Amit Shah stated that in the last five years, 1,007 bank branches were opened in Naxal-affected areas, and 937 ATMs were launched. Additionally, 5,731 post offices equipped with banking services were established. He mentioned that the Skill Development Scheme reached all 48 districts, and a strong vertical of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was created. 1,143 tribal youths were recruited into the security forces. Six helipads were built to assist in the quick evacuation of injured soldiers to hospitals for rescue and rehabilitation. As a result, Naxalism is gradually shrinking.

The Home Minister noted that several prominent Naxal leaders were among those killed, which has significantly weakened their entire movement. Many Naxalites, who had bounties of crores of rupees on their heads, have surrendered.

The Union Home Minister stated that the government is on the verge of ending the problems in the Northeast as well. He mentioned that there has been a 70% reduction in violent incidents in the region, a 72% decrease in casualties among security personnel, and an 85% reduction in civilian casualties. After coming to power, their government initiated talks with all armed groups.

Since 2019, 12 significant peace agreements have been signed. He listed the agreements as an agreement with NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura) in 2020, an agreement with the Bru-Reang community in 2021, the Karbi agreement and agreements with tribal organizations and an inter-state border agreement between Assam and Meghalaya in 2022, agreements with DNLA, UNLF, and ULFA, an inter-state border agreement between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in 2023 along with agreements with Tipra and NLFT, as well as ATTFA in 2024. This series of agreements reflects the government’s ongoing efforts to bring peace to the region.

Amit Shah stated that the government has significantly strengthened connectivity in the North-East by investing Rs 81,900 crore in the railway sector, Rs 41,500 crore in highways, and Rs 47,000 crore in rural roads. Additionally, 64 new air routes and helicopter routes have been introduced. He emphasized that this has not only reduced the physical distance between Delhi and the North-East but also bridged the emotional gap.

Amit Shah said that 57 individuals have been declared terrorists and 23 associations have been designated as unlawful organizations. Between 2019 and 2024, the most serious 14 organizations linked to Hurriyat were banned. He mentioned that Hurriyat, which was once used as a mediator for talks with Pakistan, has been dismantled. He further highlighted that the government has banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and conducted raids across 24 states, ensuring that every PFI member was put behind bars. He said, Some people wanted to become Bhindranwala in Punjab, we took the action of putting them in jail in Assam.

Amit Shah emphasized that legal measures have been taken under the NIA (National Investigation Agency) against 25 different threats, including left-wing extremism, terrorism in Kashmir, fake Indian currency notes, narco-terror links, Khalistani extremism, radicalization efforts, terror financing, and illegal arms smuggling. He also pointed out that threats such as human trafficking being used against national security, cyber terrorism, misuse of the Explosives Act, and amendments in the Arms Act have been addressed. By bringing all these 25 dimensions under the NIA’s jurisdiction, the government has effectively created a comprehensive legal framework to tackle security threats.

Amit Shah said that 1,244 new positions have been created in the NIA (National Investigation Agency), 16 new branch offices have been opened, and two new zonal offices have been established. He emphasized that out of 652 cases, not a single one has been declared unjustified by the Supreme Court. Among these, 516 cases have had charge sheets filed, 157 cases have been resolved, and 150 cases have resulted in convictions. This has led to a 95% conviction rate, which is the highest among anti-terror agencies worldwide.

Amit Shah further mentioned that NIA has collaborated with DRDO to prepare for threats related to chemical, nuclear, and biological terrorism. Additionally, he highlighted that NIA’s international exposure has been expanded through agreements, and a contract has been signed with the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to create a new vertical dedicated to counter-terrorism efforts.

The minister stated that drugs are a serious problem, but the government cannot fight this battle alone. He emphasized that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government’s policy is clear that a person who consumes drugs is a victim of this problem and a person who trades in drugs is a criminal.

Amit Shah highlighted that between 2004 and 2014, 25 lakh kilograms of drugs were seized, whereas from 2014 to 2024, the quantity increased to over one crore kilograms.

He noted that forensic science has been given significant emphasis in the new criminal laws. He announced that a visit to the forensic science lab will now be mandatory for any crime carrying a sentence of more than 7 years. Under the new laws, strict time limits have been established for the police, prosecution, and judiciary to ensure faster justice. He explained that delays due to repeated adjournments will now be a thing of the past, as neither the defence nor the prosecution will be allowed more than two adjournments.

Home Minister said that the government has implemented a four-pronged strategy in the field of forensic science, which includes – strengthening infrastructure, building expert manpower, gaining access to the latest forensic technologies from around the world and promoting research and development.

He said the government has adopted a four-pronged strategy in the field of forensic science. This includes strengthening infrastructure, building expertise and manpower, providing access to the latest forensic technology worldwide, and promoting research and development (R&D). He mentioned the establishment of the National Forensic Science University, where PhD-level courses have been introduced in 72 different fields. Currently, there are around 5,137 students enrolled, but in two years, the number will rise to 35,000 as forensic science universities are being established in 14 states. (ANI)