Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Chhattisgarh (ETV Bharat) Raipur (Chhattisgarh) :Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who addressed a review meeting in Raipur on left wing extremism and inter-state coordination, stressed on increasing the pace of the campaign against Naxalism and asserted that the 'financing of left wing extremism and supply of weapons to Naxalites should be stopped'. Top officials of seven states participated in this meeting.
"The campaign against left wing extremism is now in the decisive phase and our government is committed to completely eradicate this problem before March 2026. We now need to work with twice the speed and intensity than we had at the beginning of the campaign against Naxalism. Only through such work can this problem be completely eradicated from our country. Along with this, we have to convey our views to all sections of the society with humility and firmness", said the Union Home Minister.
"Naxal-affected states should hold meetings every fortnight": The Union Home Minister said that "Every fortnight, secretaries of all Naxal-affected states should review the development in Naxal-affected areas. Unless anti-Naxal operations are constantly monitored, we will not be able to achieve our goal against Naxalism". He also stressed that the surrender policy for Naxalites should be flexible. Along with this, it will also be ensured that this policy is not misused. States should hand over the investigation of inter-state cases related to Naxalism to the National Investigation Agency.
Amit Shah also inaugurated the Raipur office of the Narcotics Control Bureau. Speaking on the occasion, Amit Shah said that "India has been fighting against the drug menace for a long time. The fight against drugs has now become a global issue. Now this is not the fight of any one country. Many countries of the world are struggling with this problem. Everyone will have to move forward against it together."
'We have to fight the drug network with a strategy':Amit Shah said on Sunday that "illegal drug trade is not only a challenge for India but also a global issue. If all countries fight against it together with a strategy, it will be easy to deal with this threat." Shah also said that money earned from illegal drug trade is also used for anti-national activities like spreading terrorism and Naxalism and weakening the country's economy.
"I believe that the resolve to have a drug-free India is very important to build a prosperous, safe and glorious India. Drug trade is not only a challenge for India but also a global issue. This battle is at such a juncture that if we move ahead with determination and strategy, we can win this battle. Many countries have lost their battle against it. The problem of drugs in India is not just a problem of illegal drugs, but it is also related to national security." - Amit Shah, Union Home Minister.
Amit Shah's emphasis on adopting four principles: On the harm caused by drugs and its elimination, Amit Shah stressed that "we have to emphasize the need to adopt four principles of identification of drugs, destruction of the network, detention of criminals and rehabilitation of addicts." It is also our national responsibility to make the country drug-free with a zero tolerance policy, he said.
Shah said that the percentage of drug use in Chhattisgarh is 1.45 which is more than the national average. The use of ganja in Chhattisgarh is 4.98 percent which is more than the national average of 2.83 percent and it is a matter of concern, he said. Chhattisgarh shares its border with seven states including Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, from where drug smuggling takes place, he said, adding that Chhattisgarh is close to the Bay of Bengal and the coastal connectivity of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh forms the route for drug trade.
''Drug traffickers are changing their stance and moving from natural drugs to synthetic drugs, which cause maximum harm. If a packet of drugs is found in a small shop, we have to investigate where it came from and where it was manufactured. We have to develop the habit of investigating in a scientific way to eliminate the background of this entire system. We have to adopt a top-down and bottom-up approach.'' -Amit Shah, Union Home Minister.
'E-commerce platforms and drones are being used in smuggling': Union Minister Amit Shah stressed the need to strengthen the strategy of drug detection and said that "there have been cases in which e-commerce platforms, delivery through drones and telehealth services were used in the business of narcotics. In the last 10 years, the performance of NCB has improved a lot and the fight against drugs has become stronger.''
Amit Shah, in a post on X, said, "The (Narendra) Modi government is moving towards making India drug-free by establishing NCB offices in every state with the cooperation of state governments. In this direction, today the zonal office of NCB was inaugurated in Chhattisgarh and a review meeting was also held on the drug scenario. This office is going to prove useful in curbing narco-related crimes in the state and creating awareness among the youth against drug addiction."
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma were present on the occasion.
Shah, who is on an official visit to Chhattisgarh, will also take chair a meeting on the cooperation sector at Hotel Mayfair here. He will also take part in the 'Peepal for People' initiative as part of the 'One Tree in Mother's Name' campaign. After taking part in all the scheduled programmes, Shah will depart from New Delhi.
