New Delhi, SEPTEMBER 28: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated the conference on ‘PRAHAAR – CT Policy and Strategy’ today in New Delhi. The conference deliberated on the seven pillars of PRAHAAR: Prevention, Response, Aggregating Internal Capacities, Human Rights, Attenuating Conditions for Terrorism, Aligning International Efforts, and Recovery and Resilience through a whole-of-society approach.
The conference was attended in person by the Union Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, heads of CAPFs and CPOs, DGPs of 15 States, and ATS chiefs of all States and Union Territories. Other State DGPs and frontline police officers joined virtually.
In his address, the Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms and manifestations of terrorism. He stressed the need for sustained efforts to strengthen and improve the PRAHAAR strategy through continuous analysis of terror incidents and the establishment of a strong, concrete mechanism for the next 10 years.
Emphasising the need to take the principles of PRAHAAR down to the police station level, he called for a proactive approach to every aspect of the initiative. Referring to steps taken to mitigate terrorist threats, he advocated institutionalising an automated counter-terrorism response at every level. He also stressed a result-oriented approach to each pillar of PRAHAAR and called for coordination among stakeholders to prevent delays in action.
Amit Shah said that from 2019 to 2026, the Modi government had successfully brought back 288 fugitive criminals to India from 36 countries. He said improved coordination among agencies had led to the busting of more than 40 modules of the Shahzad Bhatti network, which was involved in cross-border smuggling of weapons, explosives and narcotics. More than 100 FIRs were registered and 350 individuals arrested across 15 States. The government also declared the Shahzad Bhatti network a terrorist organisation under the UAPA, he said.
The Union Home Minister also launched a new Extradition Portal to coordinate and expedite efforts to bring fugitives back from abroad. He urged State Police Forces to establish dedicated teams to work with Central agencies in bringing back fugitives.