News Analysis India

Tag: Amit Shah

  • Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel skips Amit Shah’s meet on Left Wing Extremism 

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday skipped a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

    The chief ministers of 10 Naxal-hit states, including Chhattisgarh, were invited to the meeting during which Shah was to take stock of the ongoing operations against the ultras and development activities undertaken at the ground level, officials said.

    “Chhattisgarh’s Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain and Director General of Police D M Awasthi have gone to the national capital on the CM’s behalf to attend the meeting,” a public relations department official said.

    Baghel was scheduled to attend a convention of Chandranahu Kurmi Samaj in the state’s Mahasamund district on Sunday afternoon, he said.

    The CM has skipped the crucial meeting at a time when the LWE situation in Chhattisgarh could be a key agenda of discussion as the state has witnessed several deadly attacks on security forces by Naxals in the last few years.

    Senior state officials said the issue of setting up camps of security forces in Bastar, particularly in its southern part that comprises Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada, was likely to be discussed in Shah’s meeting in Delhi on Sunday.

    Construction of roads and other development works in the strife-torn areas of the state were also likely to be discussed, they said.

    Chhattisgarh recorded the highest number of crimes committed by Maoists in 2020, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) annual report released recently.

    As per data of the Chhattisgarh police, the Naxal violence has claimed lives of 1,237 security personnel, mostly belonging to paramilitary forces, and 1,615 civilians from 2001 to June this year in the state.

    During the same period, bodies of 1,027 Naxals were also recovered following encounters with security forces, while 4,552 ultras surrendered.

    The state’s eight districts -, Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma (all in Bastar region) and Rajnandgaon – are among most Naxal-hit districts in the country, and have been battling the menace for over three decades.

    After assuming charge as the Union home minister, Shah had for the first time visited the insurgency-hit Bastar division in April this year, after 22 security personnel were killed and 31 others injured in a Maoist ambush along the border of the region’s Sukma and Bijapur districts.

    Shah had then held a high-level meeting in Jagdalpur on the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) situation with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and senior officials of the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

    In January this year, Baghel had chaired a meeting of unified command here to review the security situation and development works in Naxal-affected areas of the state.

    The CM had then said his government’s three-pronged strategy of trust, development and security helped in pushing Naxals on the back foot, and success will be achieved in cornering ultras in the coming days.

  • Congress questions Home Minister Amit Shah’s silence over Delhi courtroom firing, Assam incident

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday questioned the silence of Home Minister Amit Shah on the open shootout inside a courtroom in the national capital and also the Assam firing incident.

    Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh also asked whether Shah does not have the time to resolve the issue in Assam.

    “The country’s law and order situation is worsening, with firing taking place inside a courtroom in the national capital, killing people. There are 10-20 rounds of firing inside a courtroom and where is the home minister. Where is his statement,” he asked.

    “Who is responsible for this,” Vallabh said, wondering whether the home minister is only supposed to give speeches.

    “When the law and order situation is so precarious and the country’s home minister is silent and gives no statement or takes action, then it is an indication of a ‘majboor’ (helpless) government and not a strong government. The people of India have never tolerated ‘majboor’ (helpless) people,” he told reporters.

    Vallabh said the BJP leadership made several tall promises ahead of Assam elections and asked where are those promises now.

    He said never in the country’s history has one police force fired upon the police force of another state and killed cops and the home minister is still silent, apparently referring to the Assam-Mizoram border row during which seven people were killed and 50 injured in an exchange of fire between the police forces of the two states in July.

    “The country’s home minister does not have time to visit Assam and sort out the issue through talks. He does not have time to resolve this matter. Where is the country’s home minister, has he also gone to America,” Vallabh asked, alleging that he has come to know from the media that he is attending a conference on cooperatives.

    Commenting on the Assam situation, the Congress spokesperson questioned why the home minister was not giving any statement when leaders of opposition, the principal opposition party leaders are asking that the central government should interfere.

    “Have you seen any statement by the home minister on that? In the past also we had seen that a state police of one state is fighting against the state police of another state? What is going on? Everybody is silent; nobody is making any comment on that, what is the reason for these things,” he asked.

    An eviction drive in Gorukhuti village in Assam’s Darrang district on Thursday turned ugly when clashes broke out between police and alleged encroachers resulting in the death of two persons and injuries to 20.

    A shocking video showing a man hitting an apparently dead person with a bullet wound on his chest and jumping over his body also surfaced after the incident, drawing widespread condemnation.

    The man, who was a photographer engaged by the district administration, was arrested and a judicial probe has been ordered.

  • Centre to soon announce new cooperative policy, says union minister Amit Shah

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Centre will soon come out with a new cooperative policy and work in tandem with states to strengthen the cooperative movement.

    Shah, who is also the Union Home Minister, also announced that the number of primary agriculture cooperatives (PACs) wil be increased to 3 lakh in the next five years.

    At present, there are about 65,000 PACs.

    He was speaking at the first Sehkarita Sammelan or National Cooperative Conference here.

    The Ministry of Cooperation was formed in July this year.

    Addressing the gathering comprising over 2,100 representatives of different cooperatives and nearly 6 crore online participants, Shah said some people wonder why the Centre created this new ministry as the cooperatives are a state subject.

    Shah said there could be a legal response to it, but he does not want to “get into this argument”.

    The Centre, he stressed, will cooperate with states and “there will be no friction”.

    “We will work with all states to take forward the cooperative movement,” he said, and added the Ministry of Cooperation has been formed to strengthen and modernise the sector.

    On the proposed new cooperative policy, Shah said a policy was brought in 2002 by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and now the Modi government will start working on a new policy.

    Stressing that the cooperative movement was more relevant today than ever, Shah said cooperatives can contribute a lot in the development of the country.

    According to him, the cooperatives will play a crucial part in making India a USD 5 trillion economy.

    Referring to the problems being faced by cooperatives on taxation front and other issues, Shah said he was aware of the concerns and assured that there would be no injustice towards them.

  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review situation in Naxal-hit areas with 10 CMs on Sunday

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will review the security situation in Naxal affected areas with chief ministers of 10 states on Sunday, officials said.

    Those who were invited for the day-long physical meeting are the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.

    The home minister will review with the chief ministers the security situation and ongoing operations against the Maoists in 10 Naxal-hit states, a home ministry official said here.

    Shah is also expected to review development works like construction of roads, bridges, schools, health centres being carried out in Naxal-hit areas.

    According to the Union Home Ministry data, Maoist violence has reduced considerably in the country and the menace is prevalent now in just about 45 districts.

    However, a total of 90 districts in the country are considered Maoists-affected and are covered under the Security Related Expenditure Scheme of the ministry.

    Naxal violence, also called Left Wing Extremism (LWE), were reported in 61 districts in 2019 and only about 45 districts in 2020.

    About 380 security personnel, 1,000 civilians and 900 Naxals were killed in different instances of violence in LWE-affected areas from 2015 till 2020.

    A total of about 4,200 Naxals have also surrendered during the same period, according to the data.

  • Cooperation Minister Amit Shah to address maiden conference of cooperatives

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will address the first mega conference of cooperatives here Saturday, and crores of people linked to these collective bodies across the world will join the programme virtually, the BJP said Friday.

    Over 2,000 people associated with cooperatives will be present at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium venue of the programme, it added in a statement.

    Shah, who is also the Union home minister, is likely to outline the government’s vision and roadmap for the development of the sector.

    This is the first Sehkarita Sammelan, or National Cooperative Conference, that Shah is scheduled to address as minister in-charge of the new Ministry of Cooperation, which was created in July this year with an aim to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.

    The conference is being organised by cooperative bodies IFFCO, National Cooperative Federation of India, Amul, Sahakar Bharti, NAFED, KRIBHCO, among others.

    Minister of State for Cooperation B L Verma and International Cooperatives Alliance (Global) President Ariel Guarco will also be present at the event.

    “This is the first big event (where) the minister will address the cooperatives and will share the government’s vision and outline the roadmap for development of this sector in the country,” the ministry’s spokesperson had earlier told reporters.

    This will be the first opportunity where the members of cooperatives will hear from the minister directly about the government’s plan for the sector, the official said.

    The event will see virtual participation of over 8 crore people.

    Around 3 million cooperatives from 110 countries associated with the International Cooperative Alliance (Global) are also expected to join virtually, an IFFCO official said.

    This conference will also play an important role in strengthening Indian cooperatives on the global stage.

    It will also work towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aim of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, IFFCO had earlier said in a statement.

    The ministry’s core mantra is to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country, provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework and streamline the processes to enable the development of Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS), it added.

  • Home Minister Amit Shah authorised me to hold preliminary talks with ULFA: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has authorised him to hold preliminary talks with the insurgent group ULFA.

    After meeting Shah here tonight, Sarma also said that he is partly involved in the ongoing peace process with the NSCN-IM but was not officially holding any negotiation with the Naga rebel group.

    “I have discussed with the home minister on the issue of holding peace talks with the ULFA. He has authorised me to initiate the preliminary talks with the ULFA,” he told reporters here.

    The chief minister also said that if things move in a proper direction, the central government may get involved in the peace parleys with the ULFA at a later stage.

    Asked about his role in the dialogue with the NSCN-IM, Sarma said he was partly involved in it but never officially engaged in the peace talks with the Naga group.

    “As convenor of the NEDA, I have sometimes talked to some political parties (in Nagaland) in the past,” he said.

    Sarma is the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the Northeast version of the NDA where major parties of the region are constituents.

    The chief minister said he would travel to Nagaland on Tuesday as convenor of the NEDA to assess the political situation of the state after opposition parties too became part of the government.

    Referring to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), he said both central and state governments are on the same page in seeking a review of the NRC in Assam.

    However, a decision in this regard will be taken only by the Supreme Court as the NRC was prepared under the direct supervision of the apex court.

    Replying to another question, Sarma said he has no plans to effect a reshuffle in his ministry as of now.

    Sarma assumed charge as Assam chief minister on May 10.

  • Peace talks with NSCN-IM resume, CMs of Assam, Nagaland to meet Muivah Tuesday

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The peace talks between Centre and National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) resumed after nearly two years with the former special director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) AK Mishra meeting the rebel outfit’s general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah in Nagaland’s Dimapur on Monday.

    While the Centre had stressed that it was in favour of resolving the Naga imbroglio as soon as possible, the NSCN-IM said any solution to the Naga issue without the ‘sacred’ Naga flag and constitution would be meaningless.

    In a significant development, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is considered a troubleshooter for Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio will meet Muivah on Tuesday. Sources said Rio had arrived in Dimapur from Kohima on Monday for the meeting.

    The peace talks ran into trouble after the Centre’s interlocutor RN Ravi had allegedly circulated a “doctored” version of the Framework Agreement, signed between the Centre and the rebel group in 2015 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

    Even as a bitter spat between Ravi and NSCN-IM continued, Shah deputed Sarma, who was then serving as Assam’s Finance Minister, Rio and a Naga social activist to meet Muivah in Delhi to understand their grievances.

    In due course, the trio convinced Shah that Ravi should be relieved of his responsibilities as interlocutor. Subsequently, Mishra was roped in with a senior serving IB official to continue the engagements with NSCN-IM, followed by their informal meetings with the outfit’s leadership.

    For the last year, Muivah has maintained that only Ravi’s removal from the post of interlocutor would ensure the talks’ progress.

    ALSO READ | Are taxes levied by militants legal? Nagaland stands united against extortion by rebel groups

    “The NSCN had exercised much restraint against the systematic ultimatum issued by the representative of GoI (Ravi) since July 2019, which was replaced during the talks on October 31, 2019. The representative of GoI has acted very irresponsibly and disrespectful (sic) to the Naga talk teams during the talks on January 30 in Dimapur, referring to the NSCN proposal submitted on January 18 as stupid and contaminated,” Muivah’s February 2020 letter to the PM reads.

    Ravi, who was also serving as the Nagaland governor, is now holding the gubernatorial position of Tamil Nadu.

    Meanwhile, NSCN-IM leader R Raising told journalists on Monday that it would be meaningless to sign any agreement that denies the Nagas their flag and constitution.

    “Any agreement, which is short of the (Naga) flag and the constitution, will be unacceptable to the people and the NSCN-IM. It will be a meaningless agreement,” Raising said.

    “The Government of India had invited us to resume the talks. They sent their representative on the basis of a directive from the PM. We reaffirmed the Framework Agreement during today’s meeting in letter and in spirit,” Raising said.

    He said the success of the peace talks would depend on the sincerity and commitment of both sides.

    The Centre is holding parallel talks with seven other groups which came together under the banner of Naga National Political Groups or NNPGs and Raising said the NSCN-IM has already made its position clear that the solution would be inclusive.

  • Narendra Modi was first CM to recognise seriousness of climate change: Amit Shah

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that Narendra Modi was the first chief minister in the country to understand the seriousness of the climate change phenomenon and institutionalise its management.

    He was speaking after planting a sapling at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) training ground at Mudkhed in Nanded district of Maharashtra, which made the security agency achieve the target of one crore sapling plantations in the country.

    “When Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he was the first to understand the seriousness of climate change and ensure its institutionalised management. Many chief ministers focus on building roads, ensuring education facilities and drinking water schemes. But Modi also worked on climate change and worked for planting saplings,” he said.

    Describing global warming and climate change as enemies, Shah said, “We have to protect environment and natural resources.”

    He added that the CRPF has achieved the target of planting one crore saplings on Modi’s birthday, which is also the Marathwada Multi Sangram Din (Marathwada Liberation Day).

    Shah paid tributes to the country’s first home minister Sardar Patel and the martyrs of the Marathwada liberation movement on the occasion.

    “Without the CRPF, the country’s internal security is impossible,” he said while hailing the achievements of the 3.25-lakh strong force for meeting every expectation.

    He said one crore saplings have been planted by the CRPF in 170 districts across the country.

    “The government can plant saplings, but CRPF should protect it. I urge every CRPF jawan to get associated with one sapling,” the minister said.

  • BJP government strengthened Gujarat’s law and order, helped shed ‘curfew capital’ tag: Amit Shah

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday credited the BJP government in Gujarat, right from the time when Narendra Modi was its chief minister, for strengthening the law and order situation and helping the state shed its ‘curfew capital’ tag and gain the identity of being a safe and secure state.

    Addressing a gathering virtually after inaugurating six newly-constructed police stations and an office of deputy superintendent of police in rural Ahmedabad, he said that thanks to the improved law and order situation, Gujarat has become a leading state in terms of industrial development.

    “There was a time when Gujarat was known as the curfew capital. Now, when you ask a 20-year-old whether he has experienced a curfew, he will certainly answer in the negative. Under the leadership of (Narendra) Modi, Anandiben (Patel), Vijaybhai (Rupani) – and now with Bhupendrabhai (Patel) taking over – the BJP government worked to strengthen the law and order situation. The state no longer experiences communal riots during Rath Yatras, and people experience peace,” Shah said.

    “We have been doing very well in terms of law and order situation, and because of this, Gujarat has become prominent in industrial development,” he added. The government, starting from the time when Modi was the chief minister, brought about radical changes in the law and order situation by adopting new measures.

    As a CM, Modi worked towards computerisation of police stations, strengthening forensic science, setting up FSL University and Raksha Shakti University, adding new companies to state reserve police, and ensuring timely and annual recruitment of police personnel, he said.

    Use of technology and initiatives such as VISWAS (Video Integration and State Wide Advanced Security) and Cyber AASHVAST (Assured Assistance Service Helpline for Victims), body-worn cameras, laser guns, 15 drone cameras with night vision, and thousands of personnel getting recruited every year has strengthened the state police force, Shah said in his address.

    He said that laws like Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Act (GUJCTOC) and Gujarat Goonda and Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act, among others, also worked in strengthening the state police force, he said.

    Shah congratulated the state government for making “radical changes” in the law and order situation by adopting several new measures. The home minister said that the new police stations, some of them set up in industrial areas, would ensure law and order, which is vital for the state’s development.

  • All regional languages must be promoted: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on ‘Hindi Diwas’

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said Hindi is a friend of India’s regional languages and all of them should be promoted and encouraged. Addressing a function on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Shah also appealed to parents to communicate with their children at home in their mother tongue even if they study in English medium schools.

    Otherwise, the children will be cut-off from their roots, he said. “Hindi has no difference with any regional language. Hindi is the ‘Sakhi’ (friend) of all Indian regional languages,” he said. Shah said that all Indian regional languages complement and complete Hindi and all regional languages must be promoted and encouraged.

    Since 2014, more MPs are speaking in their own regional language in Parliament and they are being translated verbatim to English and Hindi, he said and added that this has helped people’s representatives to highlight the problems of their respective areas in the highest forum.

    The home minister said people should not only be ‘Atma Nirbhar’ (self-reliant) in producing goods but also for languages. He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s example of speaking only in Hindi at all international forums to convey his thoughts. “Hesitation over Hindi is a passe,” he said.

    Referring to the New Education Policy (NEP) envisaged by Modi, Shah said it has provisions for promotion of regional and Hindi languages.

    On dealing with the pandemic situation, he said India has been successful in handling COVID-19 with minimum damage due to joint efforts of the central and state governments and with the active cooperation of 130 crore population.

    The prime minister, whenever he addressed the nation, talked with all stakeholders – doctors, experts and others – in Hindi which resulted in the message reaching the grassroots level, he said.