Several Opposition-ruled states including West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar and Telangana, did not send their political representatives to attend a ‘Chintan Shivir’ being chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Faridabad.
According to the official list, political representatives of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Telangana, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Lakshwadeep did not attend the event.
News18 had earlier reported that states like Bihar, West Bengal and some southern states are unlikely to attend the meeting. Officials of various states had told News18 that CMs who hold Home department are busy and likely to send their representatives.
A report attributing a senior official in the West Bengal government claimed that West Bengal CM will not be able to leave the state as several functions are lined up for her in this festive season.
“Bhai Phota (Bhai Dooj) will take place on Thursday and ‘Chhat Puja’ will take place soon. It will not be possible for the chief minister to leave the state. Our home secretary and DGP will not be participating in the Chintan Shivir for the same reason as that of the chief minister,” said the report quoting the official.
Shah addressed the first day of a two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ at Surajkund, Haryana on Thursday. Several Chief Ministers, Home Ministers, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of Union Territories are participating in the Chintan Shivir.
The Shivir will deliberate on issues like modernization of police forces, cybercrime management, increased use of IT in the criminal justice system, land border management, coastal security, women safety, drug trafficking, among others.
In his address, Shah said taking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this Chintan Shivir, is being organized which will provide a common platform to face challenges before the nation such as cyber-crime, spread of narcotics and cross-border terrorism in unison. He said today the nature of crimes is changing and they are becoming borderless, that is why all States will have to battle these by having a common strategy.
Violence Incidents in Left Wing Extremism Areas Dropped
The Union Home Minister said that the areas affected by Left Wing Extremism, Jammu and Kashmir and the North east, which were once hot spots of violence and unrest, are now becoming hot spots of development. He said the security situation in the North East has improved significantly in the last eight years and since 2014 there has been a 74 percent reduction in insurgency incidents, 60 percent in casualties amongst security forces and about 90 percent in civilian casualties. Apart from this, efforts have been made to establish lasting peace in the region by signing of agreements with the NLFT, Bodo, Bru, Karbi Anglong under which more than 9,000 militants have surrendered. He said with the restoration of peace in the North East, AFSPA has been withdrawn from more than 60 percent areas.
Highlighting the improvement in the situation in the LWE affected areas, Shah said the incidents of violence in these areas have come down by 77 percent and deaths in these incidents have reduced by more than 85 percent. Shah said after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, a new beginning of peace and progress has begun there. He said compared to 37 months before August 5, 2019, there has been a 34 percent reduction in terrorist incidents and 54 percent reduction in deaths amongst security forces in the 37 months after August 5, 2019.
NIA Branches in All States by 2024
Shah said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has followed a zero tolerance policy against terrorism and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other agencies are being strengthened to achieve a decisive victory over it.
He informed that before 2024, efforts are being made to set up an anti-terror network by setting up NIA branch in all the states. Shah said that to achieve a decisive victory in the fight against terrorism, the legal framework is being strengthened, under which provision has been made to declare individual terrorists by amending the NIA and UAPA laws. He said that the NIA has been given extra territorial jurisdiction and along with this the agency has also been given the right to confiscate the property acquired / related to terrorism.
Reform in CRPC, IPC
The Home Minister said that the MHA is continuously working on reforms in CRPC, IPC and FCRA and soon their revised blueprint will be tabled in Parliament. He said the States should make maximum use of forensic science to increase the conviction rate and the Central government has provided all possible help by forming the NFSU. Cyber-crime is a big threat before the nation and the world today and the Ministry of Home Affairs is ready to fight against it, Shah said.
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