New Delhi: The Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the office of National Investigation Agency (NIA) at New Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Shri Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chief Minister Shri Raman Singh, Union Minister Ms Renuka Singh, the NIA Director General Dinkar Gupta and senior officers of the investigating agency were present on the occasion. Shri Amit Shah extended his warm greetings to the people of Chhattisgarh on the occasion of the ‘Teeja Pola ‘festival and said our ancestors have created festivals with much thought.
The Home Minister said that the new building of the National Investigation Agency in Chhattisgarh is a symbol of the growing potential of the NIA. He said that it takes a long time for an agency to be established, to emerge, to build credibility and establish its systems and bring results. The establishment of the NIA has not taken much time, but within a short span of time the NIA has gained recognition as a prime anti-terror investigation agency and is recorgnised as such around the world. This has been possible by setting a benchmark in every aspect of its work, and this is a matter of pride for the nation.
Shri Amit Shah said the NIA has set a gold standard in conviction. The NIA has achieved about 94 per cent conviction rate and that too in cases where evidence is difficult to find. The Home Minister said NIA has successfully fulfilled all objectives of its establishment in a dignified manner by successfully investigating case where the conspiracy was hatched outside India and most of the people involved in the cases are likely to die on the spot, getting to the bottom of these cases and finding the people involved and the finding the network of conspirators within and outside the borders of the country and their elimination. The Union Home Minister congratulated the Director General of NIA and the entire team of NIA on this count.
The Home Minister said the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken several important steps in the last three years to make the NIA a top-class Federal crime investigation agency. He said over the years, NIA has expanded its operations to 10 States and in 3 years has strengthened its reach in 18 States. Shri Shah expressed hope that by May 2024 the NIA will make its presence felt in all States.
Amit Shah said the government led by Shri Narendra Modi has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against crimes related to Left Wing Extremism, counterfeit currency, narcotics and terrorism and that is why the government has left no stone unturned to strengthen the NIA.
He said to further strengthen the zero-tolerance policy, the government led by Shri Narendra Modi is working beyond politics to share all information related to terrorism with the States and make all anti-terrorism laws strong and strict. He said there is a need to strengthen all anti-terrorist investigation agencies and aim for a 100 per cent conviction rate.
The Union Home Minister said investigation quality, best manpower and Training, continuous learning process, best technique – cyber and forensic help have been included in strengthen the NIA. As a result, the NIA has gradually established itself as an anti-terrorist institution and is confident that it will go a long way in freeing the country from the menace of terrorism and Left-Wing Extremism in the days to come.
The Union Home Minister said after 2019, the government has made very important amendments in the NIA Act and UAPA Act. It has expanded the scope of NIA from the country to the countries with which we have diplomatic treaties, so that the NIA can reach to plotters and investigate the root of any terrorist attack originating from outside the country. Apart from this, the NIA has also been given the power to investigate cases such as human trafficking, restrictive explosives and cyber-crimes.
Along with banning terrorist organizations and declaring them as terrorist organisations, the NIA has been empowered to declare organizations as well as individuals as terrorists. He said it was generally seen that when an organization was banned, terrorists would form a new organization by another name, but when a person is declared a terrorist and banned, then their problems increase. The Union Home Minister said till now the NIA has designating 36 persons as terrorists and the designation of these persons as terrorists has been internationally recognized.
Shri Amit Shah said the NIA should not only be an investigative agency but should be an organization that can prepare complete database in this field. The government has started making a database with the NIA of the FIRs, their investigations and the decisions of the Supreme Court about the terrorist incidents in the last 50 years.
Similarly, an attempt has been made to create a database of explosives material and the NIA is trying to find the methodology of the work of terrorists through an analysis of this database, through Artificial Intelligence. The analysis will be very useful in training of officers of the State ATSs and Crime Branches.
The Union Home Minister said after the formation of the Modi government, efforts have been made to make Kashmir completely free from terrorism. After the removal of Article 370, peace is visible in Kashmir and security agencies have put a halt to terrorist activities by establishing complete dominance. He said one of the important reasons for this is the stringent actions taken by the NIA in 2018, 2019 and 2020 against persons funding terror. Shri Shah said during this period 105 cases of terror funding were registered and 876 accused were apprehended while Charge Sheets were filed in 94 out of 105 cases.
The Union Home Minister said the government led by Shri Narendra Modi is determined to uproot Left Wing Extremism. Now Left Wing Extremism has been reduced to very few districts. He said that in 2009, the highest incidence of Left-Wing Extremism was 2,258, with a reduction of 77 percent, this was reduced to just 509 in 2021. Civilians and security personnel who lost their lives, which were the highest at 1,005 in 2009, decreased by 85 percent to only 147 in 2021. Shri Shah said earlier the Left-Wing Extremism was spread over 120 districts which has now been reduced to just 46, this is a great achievement.
A 50 percent reduction in violent incidents and a 140 percent increase in surrenders show that there has been great success. He said some areas of Chhattisgarh are still affected by Left Wing Extremism, but he was confident that both the Government of India and the Government of Chhattisgarh together, will be successful in eradicating Left-Wing Extremism. The Union Home Minister said the Government of India also taking the cooperation of the State Governments against Left Wing Extremism and terrorism and provides the State government cooperation.
This fight is not the battle of any State government or the Union government, but is that for humanity, the country and the economy. Unless Left Wing Extremism is eliminated, development cannot reach the affected areas and unless development takes place, the people cannot reap the benefits of development.
Shri Amit Shah said the government has also taken many steps for development in the areas affected by Left Wing Extremism. Connectivity, education, employment, construction of roads and strengthening of security forces is being undertaken in these areas. He said in the last 8 years, much success has been seen in taking this fight to its final result.
