India Will Be Free Of Maoist Problem In 2-3 Years: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the government has taken decisive steps to tackle Maoism and the country will be free of the problem in the next two to three years.

In an exclusive interview with news agency ANI, Amit Shah said that efforts made by the BJP-led government has led to welfare schemes reaching those tribal areas which had remained bereft of them.

He said Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are completely free of Maoism and the problem persists in three-four districts of Chhattisgarh.

"I think that in the next 2-3 years, the country will be completely free of Naxal issue. After the BJP government came to power in Chhattisgarh, within just 4.5 months, 112 naxals have been neutralised, around 375 have surrendered and 153 have been arrested...On the contrary, Congress says that fake encounters are being done," he said.

Asked about his remark that the BJP is getting 270 seats after four phases of Lok Sabha polls, Amit Shah said he believes that elections and the results of elections have great importance.

"Whatever government is elected, it should get support from every part of the country and the government should be stable and have a full majority...I believe that the opposition, as usual, has tried to politicise our '400 paar slogan', which is their short-sightedness. Stable governments give strength to the country, help in taking decisive steps, providing welfare to the poor, crushing internal security threats like terrorism, Naxalism and in changing the country's agenda and the country's position in the world," he said.

He slammed the opposition parties for trying to mislead people over BJP's '400 paar' slogan for the party-led NDA.

"...It has been very clearly explained that if our aim was to remove reservation, we would have the majority for 10 years, but we did not do that. As far as reservation for Muslims is concerned, I am still of the opinion that there should be no reservation in this country on the basis of religion, it is not the scheme of the Constitution, the Constitution does not agree with it. Bharatiya Janata Party will not provide reservation on the basis of religion."

On the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), he said it is mentioned in the party's manifesto for Lok Sabha polls.

"This is certainly an important issue in our 'Sankalp Patra'. We will bring UCC...We also want to bring 'One Nation, One Election'. This too should be discussed. One of our important poll issues is that in the days to come, we will not allow personal laws to come," he said.

He dismissed apprehension in sections of Western media about India heading towards autocracy if BJP gets a large number of seats in the Lok Sabha polls.

"Friends abroad need not worry so much about us. Our country is mature enough, our voters are mature enough. There have been several changes in the government in this country without the spilling of even one drop of blood...Autocracy can never come to our country. Our Constitution has provided for such a beautiful balance of power that autocracy can never come here," he said.

He targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the context of Congress guarantees. Amit Shah said he had recently visited Congress-ruled Telangana and women were still awaiting their Rs 12,000, farmers were waiting for waiving of Rs 2 Lakh loan and young girls for their scooties.

"I called it 'Chinese guarantee' on the basis of their durability...I was in Telangana recently. Women there are still awaiting their Rs 12,000. Farmers there are waiting for the waiving off Rs 2 Lakh loan. The young girls are waiting for their scooties...This was promised by Rahul Gandhi, it was his guarantee. Look for Rahul Gandhi...That is why I say that those guarantees hold no meaning. They say that during elections and then forget about it," Shah said.

Four phases of Lok Sabha polls have been held and the voting in all seven phases will conclude on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)