Plan in works to end Naxalism, J&K terror, N-E insurgency: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said India was safe under Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was following a well-planned strategy to address "three ulcers" affecting India's security.

Terming terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Left wing extremism (LWE) and Northeast insurgency as "ulcers (nasoor)", Shah slammed past governments for failing to root out these challenges.

Assuring the House of peace in Manipur and ongoing efforts to engage feuding communities, Shah attacked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for using language as a prop to "hide his corruption". He said attempts to divide the country must stop.

Shah listed data that showed reduction in the incidents of terrorism in J&K and LWE-affected districts and said PM Modi's policy of zero tolerance for terror and retaliation if provoked had placed India beside the US and Israel, the only other countries that act in defence of their borders.

Speaking to thunderous applause, the Home Minister reiterated his pledge to root out the LWE in India by March 31, 2026, and said by the next year all police stations would be technologically ready to roll out three new criminal laws which allow people to "speak against the Prime Minister but not against the country".

Shah's reference was to the replacement of the offence of sedition (under the 1861 IPC) with the offence of treason in the three new laws.

In a nearly 100-minute reply to discussions on the Home Ministry budget in the Rajya Sabha, Shah attacked DMK supremo Stalin for raising the language bogey and announced that starting next year he would engage all CMs and citizens in the languages of their regions.

He dared Stalin to translate medical and engineering courses in Tamil language and said, "You (Stalin) will not do it as you have economic vested interests. The BJP will do it when it forms the government in Tamil Nadu."

To counter Stalin's "Hindi imposition" charge and opposition to the National Education Policy's three-language formula, Shah said a Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhaag had been set up in the Ministry of Home to promote all Indian languages.

"After December, I will send all my letters to people and CMs of states in their regional language. This is a strong answer to those spreading poison in the name of language and using it to hide corruption."

Vowing to expose Stalin in Tami Nadu, Shah said, "Hindi is not a competitor but a friend of Indian languages and both complement each other."

He said all Indian languages are ornaments of our civilization.

Stressing his Gujarati roots, Shah said, "This government is translating medical and engineering courses into all Indian languages. The Tamil Nadu Government, despite being urged for two years, is not translating key courses in Tamil."

The Home Minister's caution amid the North-South narrative was — "Enough has been done to divide the country in the name of languages, this must stop now."

He asked the DMK to talk about development saying the country had marched ahead.