Some NGOs involved in religious conversion, anti-national activities to stall economic growth: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said some NGOs have indulged in religious conversion, anti-national activities, and misuse of funds to stall the country's economic progress, and strong action has been taken against such entities.

He also said that even though law and order is a state subject, crimes have become borderless due to the advancement of technology and success can be achieved against such trans-border crimes only when states and the Centre sit together and formulate a strategy to curb them.

Addressing a two-day 'Chintan Shivir' of home ministers of all states organised by the Union home ministry here, he said that the government has amended the Foreign Contributions (Regulations) Act (FCRA) which was being misused by some NGOs to conduct anti-national activities, religious conversion, political opposition to development projects and creating obstacles in economic progress.

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"In 2020, the government took strong action to stop foreign funding of such NGOs by amending the FCRA," he said.

Shah also said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will set up at least one office in all states by 2024 to develop a strong anti-terror network.

The home minister said it is the collective responsibility of states to effectively tackle crimes being committed from across the country's border or states' borders, and also deal with regional crimes to make society free from fear.

"In our Constitution, law and order is a state subject...but we can be successful against trans-border or borderless crimes only when all states sit together to ponder over them, make a common strategy, and (make) efforts to curb them," he said.

The nature of crime is changing in today's world and crime is becoming borderless, that's why the states have to formulate a common strategy to fight against it, he said.

Shah reiterated that it is the collective responsibility of states and the Centre to effectively tackle trans-border crimes.

The 'Chintan Shivir' is being organised with the objective to prepare an action plan for the implementation of 'Vision 2047' and 'Panch Pran' announced in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech.

The 'shivir' can become a good platform to discuss strategies to counter cyber crimes, narcotics, and cross-border terrorism, among others, and to exchange good practices in law and order, he said.

Shah also said that a large number of proposals to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been received, and these are being analysed.

"In a very short time, we will come up with new drafts of the CrPC and the IPC before Parliament," he said.

The home minister said that importance should be given to the three 'Cs' -- cooperation, coordination, and collaboration -- to achieve the goals of cooperative federalism, "whole of government" and "team India" approach, resource optimisation, and integration.

The Modi government has recorded success on all fronts of internal security be it Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast or narcotics smuggling, Shah said.

"Our internal security is considered strong," he said, noting that "35,000 police and CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) personnel have laid down their lives so far since independence to keep the unity and integrity of the country intact".

Shah said that all areas considered hot spots from the security point of view have been cleared due to synergy and cooperation between states and the Centre.

"The areas affected by left-wing extremism (LWE), Jammu and Kashmir, and the Northeast, which were once hot spots of violence and unrest, are now becoming hot spots of development," he said.

The home minister said there is a 74 per cent dip in terror attacks in the country and 90 per cent decrease in terror-related killings since 2014 which is a "big achievement".

"We have entered into long-term agreements with insurgent groups such as the NLFT, insurgent groups of Assam's Bodo areas, Karbi Anglong district. About 9,000 insurgents in the Northeast have surrendered so far and it ensures long-term peace in the Northeast," he said.

Shah said the country has made big strides in tackling LWE, recording a decrease of 77 per cent in naxal violence and 87 per cent in lives claimed by it after 2014.

"Once a upon a time, the red corridor between Pashupati Nath to Tirupati was notorious. States and the Centre have successfully fought this fight and achieved success... In 2014, there were 113 districts that were affected by the LWE but now it has come down to 46 districts. It is a big success," he said.

He said a new era started in Jammu and Kashmir after the abolition of Article 370.

"During the last 37 months after August 5, 2019, terror incidents have reduced by 34 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir as compared to numbers recorded in 37 months preceding the date. Sixty-four per cent less deaths have been reported and civilian deaths in terror incidents have gone down by 90 per cent during the period," the home minister said.

Jammu and Kashmir had received a total investment of Rs 19,000 crore till 2019 since Independence while in the last three years, an investment of Rs 57,000 crore has been made which shows that the Union Territory has moved ahead on the path of success, Shah said.

"We have made important changes in the NIA and the UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) to give more powers to the anti-terror agency...The agency has been given extra-territorial jurisdiction," he said.

"The agency has also got powers to seize properties of a terrorist. We have decided that every state will have an NIA unit to develop a strong anti-terror network," Shah said.

The home minister said cyber-crime is a big challenge for the country and the world today and the home ministry is committed to fighting against it.

The government led by Narendra Modi is determined to save the country and the youth from the menace of narcotics and its policy is showing results, with drugs worth more than Rs 20,000 crore being seized so far, Shah said.

Prime Minister Modi will address the 'Chintan Shivir' through video conferencing on October 28.

Development of an ecosystem for cybercrime management, modernisation of police forces, increase in usage of information technology in the criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security and other internal security issues will be discussed at the event.