Ahmedabad, 5 June 2013

After participating the meeting of Chief Ministers on internal security chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today, Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi spoke briefly with media persons and briefed them about the issues he raised in the meeting. Following is a note on what Modi said:

-I told this is perhaps the last meeting of Chief Ministers on internal security during UPA tenure. Under Dr. Manmohan Singh’s leadership, such meetings are held for last ten years. In ten years what did the Government of India do? What were the recommendations made by Chief Ministers and states, and what is the state of implementation of those recommendations? I demanded that a white paper should be brought before the nation on this. Chief Ministers give suggestions, the central government writes them down, but what is the result? What are the actions taken? Much time and energy is involved in this task, but what is the result?

-This internal security meeting should convey strong message that entire nation is with the state of Chhatisgardh and its leader Mr. Raman Singh. The nation will never tolerate Maoism violence. The nation will strongly fight against it and win. Maoists have spoiled the belt from Pashupati to Tirpupati with blood. I suggested two prone strategy. I told PM that while there are some areas where Naxals and Maoists are existing presently, there are some other areas where they want to spread their wings. In 2011 the Government of India told parliament, that golden corridor of Mumbai Pune Ahmedabad is their future target. They want to shift their base from rural area to urban area. The GoI is holding a meeting of left wing extremism hit states today evening, but I suggest that the GoI should also hold a meeting of the states that are in radar of Maoist.

-Though Prime Minister didn’t speak about it, NCTC was very much in the agenda of this meeting. I told PM that introducing new agencies is not a solution. You introduce a new agency, and the existing agency will demoralize. There is a planning commission, then you formed NAC. Planning Commission has no role then. You formed MAC in IB, and now you are handing over it to NCTC. While MAC was still trying to emerge, you pulled it out and passed it on to other agency.

-I have a serious allegation to make. You talk about rashtriya suraksha, but actions are about your rajakiya suraksha. The nation is interested in rashtriya suraksha, and not rajakiya suraksha. You use the institutions, and ruin them for political purposes.

-The government of India has taken modernization task in its hand. In 2002, the budget was Rs. 1000 crore, and in 2013 also the budget was same Rs. 1000 crore. Initially they used to give 100% money for modernization to states, but later on they introduced state participation, and while we are asking that centre should spend more, the GoI increased the burden on states from earlier 25% to 40%!

-When it comes to allocation of money, the Government of India keeps faith in panchayats but not in state govts. Whether it is UPA governed state or NDA governed state, they don’t keep faith in states. There should be prototypes, guidelines, and state govt should be asked to follow them simply.

-The central govt gives speeches on Maoism etc. But whether the govt expresses grief over deaths of army jawans, police jawans, kerala fishermen, beheaded jawans? Did the govt stand with them?

-To free the Andhra Pradesh collector, Maoist sought release of seven prisoners. One of them Padma was a chair person of NGO. Now who is she? She is a chairperson of NGO operated by NAC member. Padma’s husband was known Maoist. While GoI talks about national security, their actions on other hand reflect only political security. In another example, one person who was in jail for connections with Maoists in Chhattigarh was made planning commission member!

-The GoI is weakening the federal structure of India continuously. This country is run by all states also along with the GoI. This big brother attitude is not fine. Home Minister in his speech said that Mizoram and Tripura should solve their border dispute on their own. I told that that Sarkaria commission report on inter-state relations was out before years, and you request states to resolve their inter-state issues? Then what would GoI do? There’s no responsibility?

Full text of Narendra Modi’s speech in internal security meeting

Official release

Annual Conference on Internal Security:Gujarat CM Shri Narendra Modi demands white paper on internal security

UPA talks of national security, but indulges in political security

Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi today demanded a white paper on internal security situation in the country, which continues to be vulnerable to the threats posed by cross border terrorism and left wing extremism; besides becoming increasingly susceptible to newer forms of security threats such as cyber-attacks, narco-terrorism and terror-financing. He also criticized the UPA Government for raising a pitch for national security but indulges only in political security.

Speaking at the Conference on internal security convened by the Government of India under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the presence of various Chief Ministers at Vigyan Bhawan here, Shri Modi affirmed that a two-pronged strategy must be followed to tackle Left-Wing Extremism. We do not have a pre-emptive strategy but only a reactionary strategy. There is an urgent need to not only focus upon Maoist violence-affected states but also Maoist violence-targeted regions.

From Pashupati to Tirupati, Maoists have spread a bloodied red corridor. Now they are targeting areas of the country which are the drivers of the industrial progress of the country, he said, adding that he had earlier informed the Prime Minister about the potential targeting of the ‘Golden Corridor’ of the Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad industrial belt by the Left Wing Extremism’s document on its urban plan. This had been proved in the written reply given by GoI in a Lok Sabha question on October 13, 2011. He demanded that the Central Government must convene a separate meeting of Maoist-targeted States on the lines of the meeting of Naxal-affected States slated later for the day.

Urging the Prime Minister to disband the NCTC proposal for once and all, the Gujarat Chief Minister asserted that the Centre is constantly weakening the federal structure in the name of setting up newer superstructures. He further stated that this will add to multiplicity of existing agencies and will destroy the Constitutional fabric of the well-established agencies in the country.

He cited the example of how MAC (Multi Agency Centre) was established under the Intelligence Bureau but now it is proposed to be shifted to Ministry of Home Affairs. There remains considerable scope for further strengthening of its functioning such that it can provide more actionable intelligence inputs on a real time basis.

On the issue of Modernization of Police Force in the context of funding, many states had made a special request for 100 per cent central funding of the MPF Scheme central funding of the MPF Scheme and not burdening the State Government with a 25 per cent share. But, the Union government instead of agreeing to the same, chose to increase the state share from 25 per cent to 40 per cent. Is this how GoI react to the suggestions of State Governments, he questioned.

Shri Modi pointed out that to strengthen the Coastal Security Mechanism in Gujarat State, a Marine Commando Battalion has been created, with its recruitment already underway. In order to setting up of a Marine Police Training Academy in Gujarat, the Union Home Ministry had initially asked for 25 acres of land to set up such a training academy, which the Gujarat Government had promptly responded to, agreeing to provide it for free. Subsequently, the requirement of land was increased to 250 acres. This too the Government of Gujarat conveyed willingness to provide for free – identifying the land in Dwarka, in Jamnagar district.

He asked the Central government to call a separate meeting of Chief Ministers of all maritime states to discuss all such issues related to coastal and maritime security in a comprehensive manner.

The Gujarat Chief Minister suggested entrusting border fencing to an organization created along the lines of the Border Road Organisation (BRO) – a company of defence personnel / engineering corps to undertake such work instead of the present CPWD.
He further emphasized that to strengthen our border security solar parks should come up on international borders of Gujarat and Rajasthan, making the borders of India more secure and also benefitting the energy sector of the country.

Shri Modi also demanded speedy implementation of the recommendations of Sarkaria Commission and Punchchi Commission on settling the inter-state conflicts and Centre-States disputes in an amicable manner.

Gujarat Chief Minister opined that a strong message should emanate from this meeting that the entire country supports the state of Chhattisgarh and its Chief Minister Shri Raman Singh. He further stressed on zero tolerance towards Left Wing Extremism.

Shri Modi drew the attention of the august gathering to the Andhra Pradesh incident where a District Collector was kidnapped by Maoists who demanded release of their seven cadres, which included a chairperson of an NGO run by a member of the National Advisory Council!

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Shri Rajanikant Patel, Principal Secretary Shri G.C.Murmu (Law & Order) Shri Amitabh Pathak, Director General of Police and Resident Commissioner Shri Bharat Lal attended the meeting.