Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday reiterated the Narendra Modi government’s “zero tolerance” stance against terrorism during a Rajya Sabha debate on the home ministry’s performance.

Shah asserted that Naxalism, a decades-long internal security challenge, will be eradicated by March 21, 2026, while highlighting significant strides in curbing terrorism and insurgency nationwide.

Addressing the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Shah called it a fulfillment of the Constitution’s architects’ vision, ending separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. “They made it temporary with a clear exit path, but vote-bank politics delayed action. Modi delivered one nation, one flag,” he said.

He credited the government with reducing terror-related deaths in J&K by 70%, eliminating stone pelting, and establishing grassroots democracy through local elections. Over 40,000 government jobs and 1.51 lakh self-employment opportunities were created in J&K between 2019 and 2024, he added.

Shah outlined the Modi government’s success against India’s “biggest challenges”—terrorism in J&K, Naxalism, and Northeast insurgency—which claimed 92,000 lives over four decades due to prior inaction. “Terror incidents have sharply declined, civilian and security personnel deaths minimized,” he said, attributing this to decisive measures. On Naxalism, he promised its end within a year, contrasting past governments’ inertia with Modi’s resolve.

In the Northeast, Shah highlighted a “new era of peace and development” since 2019, with 19 peace accords signed and 10,000 militants surrendering. “The region is largely peaceful now,” he said.

The home minister’s speech underscored the government’s security achievements, positioning them as a cornerstone of Modi’s third term as elections loom in key states.