New Delhi: Taking the lead from the comprehensive campaign across the Left wing extremism, which led to the eradication of Naxalism and its armed wings, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday urged the Border Security Force (BSF) to work with the same intensity against illegal infiltration.
“The time has come to stop the infiltration that has been going on for years without any restrictions. Many retired police officers told me not to undertake the Naxal-free campaign, and they said the same to the Prime Minister, too. But the Indian government remained steadfast, and the five-decade problem is now ending. India has become Naxal-free,” Shah said in his address.“Now the BSF should proceed with the same determination to combat infiltration. The Prime Minister has launched the High Power Demography Mission, which will be announced in a few days. The High Power Demography Mission will also make identified points available to BSF and Border Security Force personnel,” he further said.
“The BSF has to thwart the conspiracy of attempts to cause demographic change, and I am telling you at peace and assured frame of mind that all three states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal have governments that believe at their policy level that illegal infiltration should not take place,” he said.“It’s BSF’s responsibility to ensure their work is not limited to border security. There should be a connection with the local patwari, the police station, the District Collector, the SP, and the DDO (District Development Officer). The BSF is responsible for identifying routes for illegal infiltration and cow smuggling and plugging them,” he asserted.Shah was addressing top officials of the national security apparatus in the presence of key decision-makers, including the Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, Border Management Secretary Rajendra Kumar, and the heads of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Central Police, while delivering the Rustamji Memorial Lecture. The lecture is an annual event hosted by the Border Security Force (BSF) in New Delhi to honour its founding father and first director general, Padma Vibhushan K. F. Rustamji.Shah urged the BSF top brass and its personnel to work in close coordination with state administrations and agencies to tackle the emerging challenges from narcotics and drones coming across the border.“Your role has to be more integrated and comprehensive in the coming days. We can’t protect our border with traditional methods. We have to work in tandem with state police, other armed forces, NCB (Narcotics Control Bureau), intelligence agencies and state administration to enhance the security grid to tackle the emerging challenges coming our way,” he said.“We have to see border security as a territorial responsibility instead of looking at it as an isolated task to deal with these challenges. We have to look ahead for the challenges coming our way from across the border. It’s our responsibility to be vigilant and up to the challenges, such as infiltration from across the border, causing artificial alteration to the demography, and an attack on the economy by narcotics and fake currency. We shall have to come out with a new strategy to tackle cybersecurity threats and drone warfare,” Shah added.‘Era of talks behind us’
