Will free India from left-wing extremism in 2 years: Shah
Union Home Minister and top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah reportedly said that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be uprooted from India within the next two years. During a review meeting on Friday regarding the security situation in LWE-hit states, Shah also alleged that 2022 witnessed the lowest number of violence and deaths in Naxal-hit areas in the past 40 years. He emphasized the need for constant surveillance in the areas freed from Naxals to prevent its revival.
Shah highlights Centre's initiatives against LWE
At the meeting, the home minister also revealed that the Centre is adopting numerous measures to speed up development in LWE-affected states. "The central government has launched more than 14,000 projects under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme to accelerate development in the districts most affected by LWE," the ministry said in a press release, according to news outlet News18.
Collaboration with state governments
Furthermore, Shah highlighted that projects worth Rs. 992 crore have been sanctioned under the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) for constructing fortified police stations, strengthening state intelligence branches, and special forces in LWE-affected states. He added that the BJP-led Centre has more than doubled the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) over the past nine years compared to the earlier period.
Officials who attended Friday's meeting
It is learned that the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand attended Friday's review meeting. While Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis participated in the meeting, state ministers represented Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha at the meeting. Other officials like the union home secretary, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) director generals, the national security adviser, secretaries to the Centre, chief secretaries of states, police director generals, and other top officials were also present.
LWE violence went down by 90% in 2022: Data
Reportedly, the number of deaths of civilians and security personnel in LWE violence decreased by 90% last year as compared to the high of 2010. Data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) shows that there were 6,984 deaths and 17,679 LWE-related incidents from 2004 to 2014. However, 2,020 deaths and 7,649 LWE-related incidents have been reported from 2014 until June 15, 2023.
