Amit Shah Vows Drug-Free Madhya Pradesh by 2029, Backs New Criminal Laws

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday defended the three new criminal laws and said cases would be resolved within three years, from the filing of an FIR to a verdict by the Supreme Court. Speaking during a one-day visit to Bhopal, Shah said the new legal framework would replace what he described as a system associated with prolonged delays. He assured the people of Madhya Pradesh that under the new laws, “from filing of an FIR to a verdict in the Supreme Court, the guilty will be punished within three years,” while inaugurating an exhibition on the new criminal laws.

Shah criticised the earlier criminal justice system, saying it had become known for “tareekh pe tareekh” and arguing that the laws introduced during British rule were designed to protect the colonial government and its authority. He said the new laws were instead focused on protecting citizens’ “honour, property and body”. Shah also described their basic principle as “justice, not punishment”, while presenting the new framework as an effort to make the criminal justice system more responsive and time-bound. His comments came as part of the Centre’s efforts to highlight the changes introduced through the new criminal laws.

During his visit, Shah also announced a target of making Madhya Pradesh free from narcotics by December 31, 2029. “We have to make Madhya Pradesh drug-free. Before December 31, 2029, MP should be free from narcotics,” he said, adding that detailed planning for the goal would be undertaken. The announcement places drug control among the major priorities outlined by Shah during his visit to the state. The statement did not provide details of the specific measures or enforcement mechanisms that would be used to achieve the target by the December 2029 deadline.

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Shah also outlined plans for expanding the dairy cooperative network under what he described as White Revolution 2.0. Speaking at a gathering of Gopalaks, he said 75,000 new cooperative dairies would be established in villages, with Madhya Pradesh expected to receive the maximum number. He also highlighted planned dairy infrastructure in the state, including a ₹255-crore plant in Ujjain that will have the capacity to process three lakh litres of milk a day and a ₹17-crore milk processing plant in Bhopal. The projects are part of the broader expansion of dairy-related infrastructure and cooperative activity discussed during his visit.

Shah further said India’s dairy exports had reached ₹5,000 crore, with milk and dairy products being exported to countries including the UAE, Bangladesh, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Bhutan. His remarks on the dairy sector came alongside the announcement of new cooperative dairies and processing infrastructure, with Madhya Pradesh identified as a key state in the expansion. The focus on village-level cooperatives and processing capacity is intended to strengthen the dairy ecosystem while supporting the broader White Revolution 2.0 initiative outlined by the Union minister.

The announcements in Bhopal therefore covered three major areas: implementation of the new criminal laws, a target to make Madhya Pradesh drug-free by the end of 2029, and expansion of the state’s cooperative dairy network. Shah’s three-year timeline for criminal cases was presented as a commitment under the new laws, while the narcotics target and dairy plans set longer-term goals for the state. The government’s progress towards these targets, including the implementation of new legal provisions and the establishment of the planned dairy infrastructure, will determine how the commitments outlined during Shah’s visit translate into action.

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