Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 15: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a public event in Lucknow on Sunday, declared that India’s response to terrorism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has sent a clear and stern message to Pakistan: “India’s blood is not meant to be shed, and whoever dares will be punished.”
Speaking at a ceremony to distribute appointment letters to over 60,000 newly selected police constables, Shah lauded Operation Sindoor as a decisive response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives in April. “Operation Sindoor destroyed terrorist headquarters in response to the attack. This, along with previous surgical and air strikes post-Uri and Pulwama, demonstrates our government’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism,” Shah stated.
He sharply criticized the Congress-led UPA government, accusing it of failing to curb terror during its tenure. “Under their rule, attacks happened almost daily—in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Delhi, and Kashmir. Pakistan tried to strike three times under PM Modi’s leadership. Each time, they got a befitting reply,” he said.
Shah also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating Naxalism, stating that its spread has dramatically decreased from 11 states to just three districts in the last 11 years. “Mark my words: by March 31, 2026, India will be completely free of Naxalism,” he asserted.
Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 militants associated with groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Shah also highlighted the success of counter-Naxal operations in states like Chhattisgarh, where multiple top Maoist leaders, including CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basavaraju and Central Committee members Gautam and Bhaskar, were neutralised in recent encounters.
According to government data, Naxal violence has seen a 53% decline in the last decade (2014–2024), with 7,744 incidents reported, compared to 16,463 between 2004 and 2014. Officials attribute this to intensified counter-insurgency efforts and strategic coordination by security forces.