Govt is moving forward with concrete strategy against terrorism: Union Home Minister Amit Shah
New Delhi:
The Narendra Modi government is committed to eradicating terrorism in the country and moving forward with a concrete strategy against it, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.
Mr. Shah also said that law and order is a state matter but terrorism has no territorial boundaries, so all security agencies – Center and states – should work in close coordination, devise joint strategies and share intelligence.
Security forces should train young officers and use technology to fight terrorism, he said while addressing an anti-terrorism conference here.
“Since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, the country is moving forward with a concrete strategy against terrorism. We are committed to eradicating terrorism,” he said.
Stating that the whole world has now accepted Prime Minister Modi’s policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, the Home Minister said that the government is committed to eradicating the evil of terrorism.
Highlighting the Modi government’s achievements against terrorism since 2014, in which terrorist incidents have come down by 70 per cent compared to the previous decade, Mr Shah said the shelf life of terrorists has now reduced from two years to a few days.
He said that due to the joint efforts of the state and central governments, violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Naxal-affected areas and the northeastern states had come under control to a large extent in the last 10 years.
Mr. Shah asked the representatives of the state police force at the conference, most of whom are DGP-rank officers, to implement the anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act wherever necessary.
The Home Minister said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central government’s anti-terrorist investigation agency, uses the UAPA in all terrorism cases and as a result, out of 632 cases registered by it so far, chargesheets have been filed in 498, with convictions in about 95. percent.
He asked the police chiefs of the state to coordinate up to the police station level and establish a strong anti-terrorism ecosystem.
The minister emphasized that the hands of the organizations fighting against it should be strengthened legally. That is why the NIA’s jurisdiction has been increased by amending the NIA Act and now they can investigate terrorist cases abroad as well, he said.
By amending the UAPA, authorities now have the power to seize assets and declare organizations and individuals as terrorists, he said.
Mr. Shah said that a 25-point integrated plan has been prepared to stop the financial support of terrorism including jihadist terror and left-wing extremism.
He said that the scope of the Intelligence Gathering Mechanism (MAC) has been widened for monitoring cyber security, narco-terror and emerging radical hotspots and SOPs have been made under it, so many crimes have been stopped before they occur. .
Mr. Shah said that he has awarded medals to 11 NIA officers for their hard work and achievements and this is a small recognition of their extraordinary contribution in the fight against terror. “Their contribution and dedication is far greater and more inspiring than this medal.” The two-day counter-terrorism conference, which began here on Thursday, is expected to further strengthen coordination among agencies to strengthen India’s security bastion.
The annual conference has emerged as a meeting point for operational forces over the years; Technical, legal and forensic experts and agencies are involved in counterterrorism to discuss issues affecting national security and the threats posed by terrorism.
The main focus of the conference is to develop synergy among various stakeholders by establishing channels for coordinated action against the menace of terrorism in the spirit of ‘whole of government approach’ and provide concrete inputs for future policy making, an official statement said. .
The two-day conference will discuss and discuss important issues including the development of legal frameworks, exchange of experiences and good practices in prosecution and counter-terrorism investigations.
The conference will also discuss challenges and opportunities related to emerging technologies, international legal cooperation and strategies in various counter-terrorism theaters across India to destroy the terrorist ecosystem.
The conference is being attended by senior police officers from states/UTs, officers from central agencies and experts in issues related to counter-terrorism and related fields such as law, forensics, technology, the release said.
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