New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the BJP-led government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism since coming to power in 2014.

Replying to the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Shah said that India's security, development, and sovereignty faced three major challenges over the past four decades -- terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir (J-K), insurgency in the Northeast, and Left-wing Naxalism. He also emphasized that the Modi government has taken decisive steps to eradicate these threats and ensure national security.

'When the Narendra Modi government came to power, many legacy challenges existed. The country's security, development, and sovereignty faced challenges due to three major issues. These challenges hindered the country's development,' he said, adding that 92,000 citizens lost their lives due to these security threats.

Shah criticized previous governments for failing to take firm action on terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the Modi government was the first to implement a strategic approach to counter cross-border terrorism.

'First of all, I will speak about Kashmir. Terrorists used to enter Kashmir from the neighbouring country, they used to execute bomb blasts and murders here. There was not one festival which used to be celebrated without any worry. Central Governments had a flexible attitude. They used to be quiet and were scared of speaking. They were worried about their vote bank. But after PM Modi came to power, we displayed a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism,' he said.

Highlighting key military actions, he referenced the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, which were India's direct responses to the Uri and Pulwama attacks. 'There were attacks even after we came to power -- on Uri and Pulwama. Within 10 days, we entered Pakistan and responded with surgical and airstrikes. The zero-tolerance policy against terrorism started there,' Shah noted.

He further said that India has now joined Israel and the United States as a nation that firmly protects its soldiers and borders. 'In the whole world, there were two nations that were always ready for their soldiers and borders: Israel and America. Narendra Modi added India's name to this list,' he added.

Shah credited the removal of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, as a historic move that ended separatism in Kashmir. He expressed gratitude to the framers of the Constitution for making Article 370 a temporary provision, which allowed the Modi government to revoke it and integrate J-K fully into India.

'We all know Article 370 was the base for separatism in Kashmir...I also want to thank the framers of the Constitution who made 370 temporary. On 5th August 2019, we removed Article 370,' he said.

Shah also said that elections are now conducted peacefully in Kashmir. 'Not a single bullet was fired during the 2024 elections, and there were no complaints of booth rigging. Once, leaders from Delhi would go there to receive the winning certificate while citizens stayed home. Now, 98 per cent of people cast their votes. It was Prime Minister Modi who laid the foundation of democracy in Kashmir for the first time,' he said.

'Tourism in Kashmir has surged since the removal of Article 370. In 2023, a record 2,11,80,011 tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir--the highest number since independence. Private investments worth Rs 250 crore have been made in the tourism sector, and a cruise service has been launched on Dal Lake,' he said.

'For many years, Kashmir's treasury remained empty. In 2015, PM Modi launched 63 projects worth Rs 80,000 crore. Some people have questioned our spending. Well, even if we spent a little less, at least we had the courage to allocate funds--whereas during your time, there wasn't even a provision for spending,' Shah said, adding that out of the Rs 80,000 crore, Rs 51,000 crore has already been spent, and 53 out of 63 projects have been successfully implemented.

Shah also pointed out that crime has evolved beyond state borders, making narcotics, cybercrime, organized crime gangs, and hawala operations inter-state and even multi-state concerns.

'The Constitution entrusts law and order to the states, while border and internal security fall under the MHA. This is a correct decision, and there is no need to make any changes to this. But when law and order are taken care of by states, after 76 years, there is now a situation where several kinds of crimes no longer remain limited to state borders; they are now both inter-state and multi-state, like narcotics, cybercrime, organized crime gangs, and hawala,' he said.

'All these crimes do not take place just within a state. Several crimes are committed in the country, even from outside the country. So, keeping all this in view, it becomes essential to make changes in the MHA. I say this with pride that in 10 years, PM Modi has implemented long-overdue reforms to the MHA to enhance national security,' he added.

Shah also expressed gratitude to the state police and paramilitary forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in strengthening India's internal security and border protection. (ANI)