News Analysis India

Tag: Union home minister

  • There was ‘bahubali’ in every district under SP, but it is ‘Bajrangbali’ now: Shah

    By PTI

    ALIGARH/BUDAUN: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday targeted Samajwadi Party, saying if Akhilesh Yadav becomes the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, his government will show “red light” to development and green light to “mafia and musclemen”.

    “There was ‘Bahubali’ (musclemen) in every district under the previous regime, but in the present Yogi Adityanath’s regime, there is no such mafia. There is only ‘Bajrangbali’ now,” the BJP leader said addressing election rallies.

    Referring to the BJP’s poll symbol he said, “Goddess Lakshmi entered every household with the lotus and referred to welfare measures taken by the government, especially during the Covid pandemic.”

    Shah warned the voters that if the “mafia rule” returns in Uttar Pradesh, “industries will go”. 

    “If you search for the mafia, you can see it at three places in UP – they are visible in jail, second outside UP and third you will see in the list of candidates of Samajwadi Party,” he said.

    The BJP leader also accused the SP, BSP and the Congress of opposing the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, for their “vote bank” politics.

    “Had SP, BSP, Congress been in power, would they have withdrawn Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir? When Modi ji became PM for the second time, he withdrew it (Article 30) on August 5, 2019. Akhilesh Yadav was against it. Why do you do such vote bank politics?” he said.

    “He (Akhilesh) stood in front of me and said due to the decision (revoking Article 370) ‘khoon ki nadiya bahengi’ (rivers of blood will flow) but Akhilesh Babu leave that river of blood, no one had the courage to throw even a ‘kankad’ (stone),” Shah said, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured the nation.

    He was addressing rallies in Atrauli, Aligarh, where Sandeep Singh, former UP CM Kalyan Singh’s grandson, is the party candidate and in Badaun. 

    “Akhilesh government will show red light to development and green light to the mafia and ‘bahubali’ (musclemen)”, Shah said, asking the people whether they wanted “red-light, green-light” government.

    ALSO READ: Goons, mafia of UP have fled, are in jail or appear in Samajwadi Party’s list of candidates: Amit Shah

    The SP flag has red and green colours. “For the 15 crore people of UP, this is not only the lotus flower but also mother Lakshmi, Ma Annpurna, which came to their houses. Modi fed their children for two years,” he said.

    He said that if “mafia rule” again comes into the state, people will hesitate to invest in the defence corridor in Aligarh, announced by Prime Minister Modi in 2018. Shah asserted that the general elections in 2014 and 2019 and the assembly polls in 2017 were for “changing the fortune (kismat) of Uttar Pradesh”.

    He said the SP and the BSP “gripped with casteist thinking” could never do any good for the state.

    “During SP and BSP rule, goondas (criminals) used to harass people and police used to run away from them, but under (CM) Yogi Adityanath regime, criminals and mafias are migrating out of the state,” he said.

    Shah alleged that the SP, the BSP, and the Congress cannot rule in a “transparent and corruption-free” manner “Only the BJP and lotus symbol could give corruption-free government under the leadership of Modi,” he said Polling will be held in Atrauli on February 10 in the first phase. BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh had represented this seat many times.

    On his relations with Kalyan Singh, Shah said, “In 2013, when I was sent as the in-charge of UP, I had visited Lucknow and Varanasi. I sought time from ‘Babuji’ (Kalyan Singh), he invited me for food at home and like a father held my finger and taught me about Uttar Pradesh politics. Kalyan Singh was the person who first talked about giving the backward society its due right,” he said.

    The Union home minister said for ‘Ramjanmbhoomi’, Kalyan Singh had resigned as the chief minister and “our PM (Modi) has laid the foundation of Ram temple”.

    Shah urged the people to once again vote the Yogi Adityanath government to power and also ensure the victory of Sandeep Singh. 

    ALSO READ: UP polls: Voting for SP-RLD alliance will lead to ‘reign of terror’, cautions Amit Shah

    Alleging that Akhilesh Yadav misled the people on the Covid vaccine, Shah said, “He used to say it’s BJP’s vaccine, I will not take it.vHe misled the people of UP and the country.vHe, however, out of fear took the vaccine himself. Had you all not taken the vaccine, would you be able to save yourself in the third wave? Narendra Modi secured 130 core people by getting them vaccinated,” he said.

    Shah also hit out at Congress, saying when there was “Sonia-Manmohan” government at the Centre, anyone used to enter India from Pakistan and cut off the heads of soldiers and the prime minister at that time would not react. “‘Mauni baba’ (Manmohan Singh) used to remain silent.

    “When the Modi government came, Pakistan-sponsored terrorists did not know that the government changed. When they attacked in Uri and Pulwama, within 10 days there was a surgical strike and terrorists were eliminated inside Pakistan,” he said.

    Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Shah said he did not know about Kharif and Rabi crops and ”if someone would tell him to talk about potato growers in Aligarh he would say he will open a potato factory here.” 

    “Can a person who does not know that a potato is grown in a field and not a factory resolve problems of farmers,” he said.

    Refuting Akhilesh Ýadav’s claim of bad law and order in the state, Shah said as compared to the previous regime, dacoity cases have been reduced by 70 percent, loot by 69 percent, murder by 29 percent, kidnapping by 35 percent, and rape by 30 percent.

    He said people like Azam Khan, Atiq Ahmad, and Mukhtar Ansari, who are seen with Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, are in jail.

  • Modi has redefined governance by giving say to common man: Amit Shah

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the Modi government has taken decisions that are good for the people and not which people would like, even at the cost of political damage.

    Addressing a function organised on the occasion of Good Governance Day, Shah said people have long been waiting for good governance which was delivered by the Modi government in the last seven years.

    “People have kept saying that we have got independence (swaraj) long ago but when will we get good governance (su-raaj),” he said.

    Shah said because of lack of good governance, people’s faith in the country’s democratic system is gradually eroding.

    But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought back people’s faith in democracy by taking the good governance up to the grassroots level, he said.

    According to Shah, people have realised that Modi came to power in 2014 not to run the government but to provide a clean, transparent and welfare administration, thus changing the face of the country.

    He said people’s faith in democracy has enhanced since 2014 as they started getting benefits of development undertaken by the Modi government.

    “Before 2014, many governments have changed. Many government have come, many have gone. But when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, people have realised that his government has come not to run the government but to change the country,” he said.

    Shah said some earlier governments on some occasions took decisions keeping the vote banks in mind.

    “But Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the Modi government has never taken decisions which the people would like (jo logon ko acche lagen). He has taken decisions which are good for the people. (jo logon ke liye achhe hon). There is a big difference between the two. Some decisions may bring you popularity for a short time but this means keeping the country in problems,” he said.

    The home minister said Modi took everyone along and made the efforts of making good governance a reality. Giving example of good governance, he said there has not been a single corruption charge against the Modi government in last seven years as it is a clean and transparent administration.

    Shah said in the last seven years, the government has taken the benefits of development to 60 crore population who were otherwise deprived of all welfare programmes in last so many decades.

    He said the Modi government has provided toilets to the poor, constructed houses, given electricity and gas connections free of cost.

    Shah said the government has framed such policies through which the problems could be rooted out.

    He said there should always be a government which is sensitive and accountable to the people.

    “People should have faith in the government and at the same time government should have faith in the people.

  • ‘Top priority’: Union minister Amit Shah asks states to arrest drug menace

    By PTI

    TIRUPATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asked the states to give top priority to address the menace of drugs and check their spread.

    “Chief Ministers should give priority to addressing the menace and spread of narcotics, as drug usage destroys the lives and potential of our youth,” shah said in his closing remarks at the 29th Southern Zonal Council meeting here on Sunday night.

    The Union Home Minister also wanted the states to have “zero tolerance” to child sexual abuse cases as crimes against children were ‘unacceptable.’

    ​ALSO READ | Savarkar worked to enrich Hindi: Amit Shah

    ‘Cases under the POCSO Act should be given top priority. There should be zero tolerance on such cases. The time frame of completing the investigation in 60 days should be strictly adhered to,” Shah said.

    He asked the states to create an independent institution of Director of Prosecutions to expedite prosecution (in criminal cases).

    He said the Centre has initiated measures for amending the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Evidence Act.

    Shah invited the states to submit their inputs for the amendments.

    Noting that a National Forensic Science University and Rashtriya Raksha University have been established, the Home Minister wanted the states to set up at least one forensic science college with syllabus in local language to train manpower to meet the requirements of scientific investigation.

  • Inaugurating flights cosmetic steps, won’t address actual problem in J-K: Mehbooba on Shah’s visit

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurating international flights and medical colleges were cosmetic steps that will not address the ‘actual’ problem in Jammu and Kashmir.

    She said ideally the home minister’s visit should have been preceded by a follow up on assurances given to leaders of the union territory during the all-party meeting convened by the prime minister in June this year.

    “HM inaugurating international flights from Srinagar & laying foundation of new medical colleges isn’t new. Half a dozen medical colleges were sanctioned by UPA gov(ernment) & are functional now. Post Article 370 abrogation & an engineered crisis, J&K has been thrown into chaos,” Mehbooba said in a series of tweets.

    She said the Union government should address the real problems to provide a sense of relief to people.

    “This crisis is of GOIs making & instead of reaching out they opted for cosmetic steps that don’t address the actual problem. Ideally, HM’s visit should have been preceded by following up on PM’s assurances post the all-party meeting,” Mehbooba said.

    “CBMs such as lifting the siege that J&K has been put under since 2019, releasing prisoners, ending the harassment people here face on a daily basis, taking tangible steps to revive the economy esp(ecially) horticulture would have provided a sense of relief,” she added.

    Contrary to that, prior to Shah’s visit, 700 civilians were detained, booked under the Public Safety Act and many shifted to jails outside Kashmir, the former chief minister alleged.

    “Such oppressive steps further vitiate an already tense atmosphere. ‘Normalcy acrobatics’ are in full swing while reality is denied & obfuscated,” she said.

  • Amit Shah reviews security situation, counter-terrorism measures in Kashmir

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday reviewed the security situation and steps taken to combat terrorism in Kashmir Valley in the wake of a spate of attacks on civilians, particularly non-local labourers and minorities.

    Shah reviewed the security scenario at a meeting held at the Raj Bhawan here and attended by top civil administration officials, including Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and senior security officials from the Army, CRPF, police and other agencies, officials said.

    The home minister was briefed about the steps taken to eliminate terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and counter-infiltration measures taken by the forces, the officials said. Shah’s visit to Kashmir comes in the backdrop of 11 civilian killings in the valley in October alone.

    Five of those killed were labourers from Bihar, while three, including two teachers, belonged to minority communities in Kashmir.

    This is Shah’s first visit to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories on August 5, 2019.

    Security was beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Shah’s visit. Additional deployment of security forces has been made across the valley, especially in the city, the officials said.

    Official sources said that 50 companies of additional paramilitary forces are being inducted into the valley in the wake of the recent spate of civilian killings.

    Bunkers manned by paramilitary CRPF have come up in several areas of the city as well in other parts of Kashmir Valley, the officials said.

  • Naxalism, terrorism discussed at security meet chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Union Home minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level security meeting with the police chiefs of all states and Union Territotries as well as those of all central police forces — CRPF, CISF, BSF, SSB and Assam Rifles. 

    Various security and policing issues were discussed in the biannual review meeting, officials said. The meeting is part of the exercise initiated by the home minister to meet the top police brass once in six months. Terrorism and Naxalism were discussed at length in the National Security Strategies  Conference that took place at the headquarters of Intelligence Bureau (IB) in the national capital. 

    “Deliberations were detailed and expansive, given the presence of all DGPs and DGs of central police forces. The conference deliberated on various internal security challenges and discussed ways to tackle them firmly,”  a home ministry spokesperson said.

    While the meeting covered a wide range of security issues, the developments in Jammu and Kashmir — which has been witnessing a spate of targeted killings of migrant labourers — were also discussed  in the meeting, sources said.  In October so far, 13 civilians — five of them coming from other states — have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, setting off a wave of panic among the people. An official said this indicates that the terrorists want to drive people from other states out of Kashmir.

    On Sunday, two men from Bihar were gunned down by terrorists in Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Twenty-four hours earlier, a gol-gappa hawker from Bihar and a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh were shot dead in the Kashmir Valley.The security forces have also intensified anti-terror operations killing 13 militants so far, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.  

    The series of attacks on civilians come days before the home minister is to make his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories and its special status granted under the Constitution was scrapped in August 2019.

  • Home Minister Amit Shah holds ‘tripartite’ talk on Gorkhas

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday chaired a ‘tripartite’ meeting to find a solution to problems related to the Gorkhas during which he assured a delegation of hill parties that the Centre was making constant efforts to resolve issues related to the region. 

    After the meeting which lasted for about two hours, the home ministry announced that the second round of talks will be held in November after the Diwali celebrations. It is believed that the long-standing demand of according Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to 11 communities of Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region was discussed in the meeting. 

    The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Tribal affairs secretary Anil Kumar Jha among others. Principal Resident Commissioner of Bengal Krishna Gupta represented the state. 

    Led by Darjeeling MP Raju Bisht, the Gorkha delegation comprised of  three MLAs Neeraj Zimba, BP Bajgain, Bishal Lama, GNLF’s  Mann Ghising, CPRM’s RB Rai, GoRaNiMo’s  Dawa Pakhrin, ABGL’s Pratap Khati and SuMuMo’s Bikash Rai. 

    “The Bengal government was specifically asked to send senior officials for the next round of talks. The all-round development and prosperity of the Darjeeling hills, Terrai and Dooars region is the top most priority of the Modi Government,” the MHA said.

  • Farmers’ protest: Haryana CM meets Amit Shah, discusses Singhu border reopening issue

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Saturday, here in the national capital to discuss the issue of reopening of Singhu and Tekri border.

    CM Khattar also briefed the Home Minister on the farmers’ protest going on in various parts of the state.

    “I met with Amit Shah Ji today, we briefed him on the issue of opening of Singhu & Tikri borders. I have also told him about farmers’ protests being held at several locations in the state. I am hopeful that borders will be opened soon,” said CM Khattar.

    ​ALSO READ | Singhu, Tikri borders closed, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij directs officials to open alternative routes to Delhi

    Khattar also said a delegation of people from different villages met him and demanded that the road to Singhu border should be opened.

    ​”A delegation of people from the villages around the Singhu border of Sonipat dist came to meet me and demanded the road to the Singhu border be opened. SC has also taken cognizance of it and we’re hopeful that the problem will be solved soon,” said Khattar.

    “We have appealed those people (farmers) should conduct the agitation peacefully, the Home Minister has said that this appeal should be kept that they should protest peacefully, we have no objection,” Khattar added.

    ALSO READ | Farmers protest: Supreme Court rejects petition against blockade at Singhu border

    Earlier in September, the Haryana government formed a special committee to talk with the farmers, who are protesting against the three farm laws, for removing the blockade at National Highway-44 at the Singhu border.

    The Supreme Court on September 6 refused to hear a plea filed by residents of Sonipat in Haryana, facing difficulties due to the Singhu border being blocked by farmers and asked them to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for relief.

    “There is no need for us to intervene when High Courts are well versed with the local conditions and what is happening. We should trust High Court,” said Justice DY Chandrachud. 

  • MP: FIR against man who posed as Amit Shah’s relative at Indore airport

    By PTI
    INDORE: Police on Thursday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a man who posed as a relative of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and tricked the city-based international airport’s management to avail VIP facilities, an official said. The accused hails from Maharashtra and a search has been launched to arrest him, he said.

    “On a complaint of an officer of the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, we have registered a case of cheating against a man named Puneet Shah along with other sections of the Indian Penal Code,” Aerodrome police station inspector Rahul Sharma said.

    “The accusation against Puneet Shah is that he claimed to be a relative of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and used that position to assert himself on the airport management and availed access to VIP lounge, vehicles and other facilities,” he said.

    It appears the man had been availing the VIP facilities at the airport since the last five to seven months, the police officer said.

    After the airport management grew suspicious, it discreetly collected information about the man and found his claim to be false, he said.

    On getting to know about his fraud, the management lodged the complaint, Sharma said, adding further probe was on.

  • Assam-Mizoram clash: ‘All eyes on Amit Shah who visited northeast few days back,’ says Derek O’Brien

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Attacking the central government over the border clashes between Assam and Mizoram, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien on Tuesday said all eyes are on the Union Home Minister Amit Shah who was in the northeast a few days ago.

    “All eyes on the Home Minister, who was in the North-east a few days ago. His incompetence being exposed one day at a time,” tweeted O’Brien.

    He also retweeted TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s tweet targeting the Bharatiya Janta Party over the issue.

    “Shocked and Stunned to hear about the ruthless violence that has transpired at the Assam-Mizoram Border. My condolences to the bereaved families. Such unremitting incidents under BJPs watch have invited the death of democracy in our nation. INDIA DESERVES BETTER,” tweeted Banerjee.

    The border clash between the two states claimed five lives while many police personnel and a few locals have also been injured in the clashes, said reports.

    In view of border tensions with Mizoram, the Assam government on Monday urged the neighbouring state to restrain its “people and Police personnel” from indulging in “wanton violence” and work towards restoring peace.

    “It is with a heavy heart that we are constrained to note that what is being termed by the Mizoram side as an intrusion and aggression by Assam has left 5 Assam Police personnel confirmed dead (6 as per initial reports, which is being confirmed) and more than 50 injured, including SP Cachar Vaibhav Nimbalkar, who has a bullet embedded in his leg and is in the ICU,” said the Assam government.