India's security, welfare of people Modi govt's priority: Amit Shah after taking charge as Home Minister

Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday said country's security and welfare of the people are the key priorities of the Modi government. Shah, who assumed the charge of the sensitive ministry on Saturday, also said he would try his best to implement all these priorities.

New Delhi: Amit Shah takes charge as Minister of Home Affairs in newly-elected PM Modi's cabinet. PTI

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday said country's security and welfare of the people are the key priorities of the Modi government. Shah, who assumed the charge of the sensitive ministry on Saturday, also said he would try his best to implement all these priorities. The 55-year-old leader succeeded Rajnath Singh and assumed charge a day after he was assigned the home portfolio as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government returned for a second term in office. "Country's security and people's welfare are the Modi government's priorities. Under the leadership of Modi, I will try my best to fulfill all these priorities," Shah tweeted after assuming the charge.

आज भारत के गृह मंत्री के रूप में पदभार संभाला। मुझ पर विश्वास प्रकट करने के लिए प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी का आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ। देश की सुरक्षा और देशवासियों का कल्याण मोदी सरकार की सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता है, मोदी जी के नेतृत्व मैं इसको पूर्ण करने का हर सम्भव प्रयास करूँगा। pic.twitter.com/4rKZW7sb6Z

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 1, 2019

Shah also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bestowing the responsibility of the sensitive ministry. "Today, I have taken the charge as India's Home Minister. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reposing faith in me," he said. Shah was received at the North Block office of the home ministry by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Intelligence Bureau Chief Rajiv Jain and other senior officials. Two newly appointed ministers of state for home - G K Reddy and Nityananda Rai - also took charge Saturday. Shah also called for a high-level meeting, involving the Home Secretary, the IB chief and other senior Ministry officials, to take stock of internal security. He was apprised about works of different divisions. He is expected to review division-wise presentation at the Ministry, starting next week. Here are major challenges ahead for Amit Shah as new Home Minister

1. Dealing with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir will the biggest challenge for Shah.
2. Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution: The BJP in its manifesto promised abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. While Article 370 gives special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Article 35-A empowers state's legislature to define "permanent resident" of the state and reserve their right to employment besides other privileges.
3. Dealing with Naxal terrorism: The number of Naxal affected district in 2014 was 161 in 16 states and in 2019 it reduced to 90 in 11 districts in 2019.
4. Completion of National Register of Citizen (NRC) exercise in Assam: The Supreme Court is insistent on government sticking to the July 31 deadline for completion of the NRC exercise.
5. Implementation of the NRC is West Bengal: Shah had said that the NDA government will implement the NRC in West Bengal. When the draft NRC was published on July 30, 2018, there was a huge controversy over the exclusion of 40.7 lakh people from it. The draft NRC included the names of 2.9 crore people out of the total 3.29 crore applications. The final NRC is expected to be published on July 31, 2019.

A confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for over two and a half decades, Shah was also a trusted minister in the Gujarat government headed by Modi as chief minister between 2001-14. He held portfolios, including home, transport, and law and justice in the state. Modi's decision to bring Shah in his cabinet signals that he will now play a crucial role in the government, effectively the go-to man for the prime minister, several party leaders believe. For all practical purposes, Shah has been the party's second most powerful leader after Modi since he became its president in 2014 after the BJP-led NDA assumed power.