Addressing the 60th all-India DGP/IGP conference in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Shah said the security forces and the police are delivering strong blows to extremism, radicalisation and narcotics
NEW DELHI: Stating that the Narendra Modi govt has provided permanent solutions to the three hotspots that had become a festering wound for the nation — Left-wing extremism-hit areas, insurgency-affected North-East, and terror-hit Jammu & Kashmir — home minister Amit Shah on Friday told the police heads from across the country that these regions will “very soon” become like the rest of the country.Addressing the 60th all-India DGP/IGP conference in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, Shah said the security forces and the police are delivering strong blows to extremism, radicalisation and narcotics by focusing on three key aspects: accuracy of intelligence, clarity of objectives, and synergy in action. “We must launch a 360-degree attack on narcotics and organised crime and build such a system that drug traffickers and criminals do not get even an inch of space in this country,” he said. The time has come, he added, for state police forces to work in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and strike hard at narcotics gangs operating at state, national and international levels, and put their masterminds behind bars.Shah said that the DGP/IGP conference has, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emerged as a key forum for resolving the country’s internal security challenges – ranging from identifying problems and challenges to formulating strategies and policies. Referring to the actionable steps taken by the Modi govt for the complete elimination of Naxalism, the home minister noted that 586 fortified police stations had been constructed in Maoist-infested areas, strengthening the security grid. As a result, he said, the number of Naxal-affected districts has come down from 126 in 2014 to just 11 now.“The country will be completely free from the menace of Naxalism before the next DGP/IGP conference,” he announced.Highlighting the concrete steps taken by the Modi govt to bolster national security, Shah recounted the additional powers and mandate given to NIA, including to probe terror crimes against Indian citizens abroad, tightening the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), enactment of three new criminal laws and stronger laws against narcotics and fugitive offenders. He further said that once the three new criminal laws are fully implemented, policing in India will become the most modern in the world.Referring to the stern action taken against terrorism and extremism, Shah said that after the Centre banned the Popular Front of India (PFI), nationwide raids were conducted on their hideouts and arrests were made, “which is an outstanding example of Centre-State coordination”.
