WE’LL NOT LET SOCIETY BREAK: RAJNATH
BJP leader says govt will ensure growth of all sections, adds that security situation has improved with no sense of alienation among the majority of Kashmiris
NEWDELHI:HOME minister Rajnath Singh is the senior-most minister in the Narendra Modi government. A former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he spoke to
Azaan Javaid and Prashant Jha on internal security, Kashmir, Nagaland, and the current political situation. Excerpts:
The government is completing four years. How do you assess the internal security situation?
The NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government under (Narendra) Modi-ji has performed extremely well. Our economy has strengthened. In the international community, India’s weight has increased. To transform India into a developed country, it is important that all sections of society develop. People should be confident about their future. For this, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Suraksha Yojana and Jeevan Jyoti Yojana were introduced. For the poor, for the women, who would previously cook food by burning wood, Ujjwala was introduced. We have provided electricity under Saubhagya. Ten crore people being given health cover of ₹5 lakh is the world’s largest scheme. The government has made structural and procedural changes to bring transparency in the system. India has jumped up in the ease-of-doing-business rankings. Crores of people have received loans from Mudra bank and become employment providers. Start-up schemes for women and economically backward were started and, for the first time, giving loans to women and Dalits has been made mandatory.
The security situation has improved. On the Naxal front, everyone has acknowledged that it has shrunk to a specific region. There used to be 135 districts (affected by Naxalism) and if you see now it affects only five-six districts. In Jharkhand, people can move fearlessly. The number of incidents has decreased, and there is desperation among Naxals. In the north-east, when it comes to insurgency, we have achieved more than 75% success. In the hinterland, there has been no terrorist strike. If you leave aside Pathankot and Gurdaspur, there hasn’t been a major incident in the country and in the two attacks that did take place, security forces and Punjab police did a good job.
How do you see the Kathua incident?
It is deeply sad, unfortunate and shameful. Irrespective of which community or religion people belong to, everyone will condemn this incident. There should be justice for the family of the victim.
The perception is that the BJP is defending the accused.
I have spoken to Mehbooba Mufti. I have also spoken to some other people from there and asked them to try to normalise the situation. Such matters should not be politicised. The victim’s family should get justice.
But will you condemn attempts to protect the accused?
No one, no one, can defend this. I have told the party members to see what the situation is like and I have asked them they should try to normalise the situation in Jammu.
The situation in Kashmir has deteriorated. There has been a spike in violence and local recruitment in militant groups.
I believe there is some local recruitment but the number is very insignificant. It’s nominal. Some forces have misled the youth of Kashmir. People who instigate children for stone pelting are to blame.
But has alienation among local Kashmiris increased?
I don’t believe in this. Among the majority in Kashmir, there is no sense of alienation towards India. People from the Muslim community are living in peace in India. It is rare and unparalleled. The Muslims themselves feel this. Where can one find a more tolerant country than India? The followers of all major religions live in India — nowhere else can you find this. There has been no discrimination in India on the basis of religion. This is the biggest feature of India’s culture.
Your ally Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to emphasise the need for a political process.
We have appointed an interlocutor and I have previously said that we are ready to talk to every stakeholder who wants to talk. I have been repeating this.
Mehbooba Mufti says India should talk to Pakistan.
What can we do? Our Prime Minister broke all protocol and reached Pakistan. Wasn’t that an occasion for Pakistan to talk? I had gone to Pakistan. Wasn’t that an occasion for Pakistan to talk? There has been no gap in our efforts.