Union Home Minister Amit Shah today at National Security Guard event in Kolkata, said that the Modi government has adopted a pro-active security strategy with zero tolerance to terrorism and India is now globally respected as the only country apart from the US and Israel capable of avenging the blood of its soldiers by launching air or surgical strikes in the home of the enemy.

Shah was speaking at the inauguration of the 29th special Composite Group complex of NSG (National Security Guard) at Rajarhat in  north-east Kolkata.

“India is now held in respect across the world as far as security is concerned. The world has realised that India has the ability to avenge the blood of its jawans by venturing into the home of the enemy, ” he said.

“Before surgical strike or air strike, the US and Israel used to be considered as the only two countries capable of avenging the killings of their soldiers, and punishing those who had perpetrated those atrocities by entering their homes. Post-surgical and air strike, ‘mahan Bharat’ is now rated as the third country to do it,” said the Union Home Minister.

Shah said under Modi’s leadership, India has adopted a policy of zero tolerance of terrorism.

“The country can now see a pro-active security policy, which it had desired for long. For 70 years, due to the grey areas between the foreign and security policies, nobody could understand clearly what the security policy is. After PM Modi came to power, the grey area between foreign policy and security policy has been cleared, and these two policies have been separated,” he said.

Shah said while India was for world peace, it wouldn’t let anybody disrupt peace in its territory.

“If anybody transgresses into our borders, kills any of our jawans, it will have to pay for that. This is the first time that we have adopted such a security policy under the leadership of Narendra Modi,” he said.

In September, 2016, India conducted surgical strikes against militant hideouts across the Line of Control in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, inflicting significant casualties.

The IAF had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot area on February 26, in response to the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

Shah landed in Kolkata this morning to  launch the BJP’s campaign in West Bengal by taking out a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act rally in Kolkata amid protests against his presence. Shah’s visit to Bengal has been met by multiple protests across the city with #GoBackAmitShah trending on Twitter.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah kicked off the BJP’s campaign for the municipal elections in April across West Bengal which can be seen as the first step towards the assembly polls of 2021.  At a rally at Shahid Minar grounds Shah  launched the BJP’s campaign song attacking Trinamool Congress. The title of the song is “Aar Noi Annay” or “No More Injustice

The opposition parties in the state, the CPM and Congress have criticized Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allowing the BJP rally at a time when political activities are restricted because of ongoing board exams. The Trinamool Congress leader has also been slammed for failing to condemn the Delhi riots when she met Amit Shah for an Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

(With inputs from IANS)