Full text: Amit Shah's wide-ranging interview at Rising Bharat Summit 2025

Amit Shah: Everyone knows that when the Muslim League stood in the elections, and stood on the basis of the two-nation principle. Before the partition, the last elections of the local state legislatures. In that, the Muslim League was defeated in the part of Pakistan. The Muslim people did not want this country to be divided. And one thing Modi ji has said correctly that the leaders of the Congress at that time are responsible for the partition of the nation. Their policy of appeasement is responsible for the partition of the nation.

And even today, through your program, I want to say especially to the youth of the country that endure anything else, but appeasement is such a poisonous thing, which the youth generation should throw away from the country forever. Those who do the politics of appeasement, they put the national's interest at stake. They compromise with the interests of the country because of the Waqf bank. And within the country, they do the work of seeding a new country. But Modi ji looks a little worried. I also want to tell the youth. That a lot of time has passed. Modi ji has been able to free this country from casteism, nepotism, and appeasement for 10 years. He has done the work of taking it towards the policy of development. Our youth generation has to move it forward. Decide on any party, the youth should have equal opportunities in the party. The policy of the party should not be in the interest of the party. It should be in the interest of the country. And the party should rise above casteism, discrimination, and language. It should be a party that cares for the country. Choose any party, vote for the one who is free from casteism, discrimination, and nepotism. And this is the true path to the development of our country and safety of our democracy.

Rahul Joshi: There were many leaders in Congress at that time. You did not answer my question. Which leaders were they?

Amit Shah: It would be very painful to single out. But Congress later made Prime Minister to Nehru Ji.

Rahul Joshi: So the signal is on his side.

Amit Shah: This is not a question of signal. In the end, the Prime Minister is the one who makes the decisions. If our leader is Modi, then Modi will be the Prime Minister. Congress made Nehru at that time. But I say this with certainty that you raise the youth of the country, bring anyone to the stage and ask, "would you have taken partition at that time?" Partition has not been done. The leaders of the Congress Party at that time have accepted partition. And I believe that no country can compromise with this.

Rahul Joshi: Let's move on to the second question. You say that you have brought the Waqf bill and ended injustice on Muslims. And the Muslim community says that there is no greater injustice than that.

Amit Shah: Mr. Rahul, do not make such a loaded statement in the name of the entire community. You will be in trouble. The Muslim community does not want injustice with them. A few politicians want it. I ask you a few simple questions. Currently, is there any compulsory provision for women in the law of the Waqf? Should they come or not? Should Muslim women in this country get a share in the Waqf Board and Waqf Council or not? 80% of the Muslim community is of the backward class. They are poor. In a way, they are OBC. Should they get representation in the Waqf Board or not? Shia, Agha Khani, Dawoodi Wara, Mohammadia, Ahmadia, all these Muslims do not have any representation. They are also Muslims. Why should they not get it? And the Congress Party talks about minorities. If we keep a minority within a minority, then we oppose it. This bill is a bill that represents every part of the Muslim community.

Secondly, you must have seen the debate. Congress leaders used to say, what has gone wrong? I want to tell the people of this country through the TV18 program. From freedom to 2013, since Islam came to India, the amount of land in the Waqf was 18 lakh acres. All the Waqf before the Mughals came to India. Because in Delhi, the Waqf happened during the Sultanate period. And after the law of 2013 came, 21 lakh acres of land increased to 18 lakh acres. So this shows that in the law of 2013, you made such an arrangement that was not fair. You declared the land of anyone as a Waqf, whether it was the land of Hindus. The entire village was declared as a Waqf, where people are living. Some 1500 year old temples were declared as Waqf, where worship is done. How can this be done? And this was not before 2013. At the end of the 2014 election, the Congress Party worked to secure its vote bank.

And I want to tell you, all the Muslim brothers must be listening to me. This is 39 lakh acres of land. Some argue that there is a graveyard, some say there is a mosque, some say there is a Dargah. All these are not more than 5%. What does revenue get from 39 lakh acres of land? What does it get today? 123 crore rupees. This is a land bigger than the railway and army. So where is it going today? Those who have gone back, they are doing corruption. Because the audit system is not right.

We have improved the audit system through the law. Through the law, we have given representation to every sect of the Muslim community. And they have a very big argument. That interfering in our religious matters. Brother Raul, there can be no bigger lie than this. The Waqif makes the Waqf and the Mutawalli manages it. According to other religions, the Waqf is a trust. The trust is made by the one who makes it. The Waqf is made by the one who makes it. We have not provided any provision to keep non-Muslims in it.

Rahul Joshi: But you have put two members in it.

Amit Shah: Those have been put in the board and the council.

Rahul Joshi: They say it is in the temple trust…

Amit Shah: Listen to me. It is the temple trust. You cannot keep them in the temple trust. You cannot keep them in the Waqf either. But is the charity commissioner a compulsory for Hindus? It can be a Sikh, it can be a Muslim, it can be a Christian. I agree that it should not be kept in the temple trust. It should not be kept in the Waqf either. If the trust is a religious trust, then it should be in the hands of Hindus. If the Waqf is a property of Allah, then it should be in the hands of Muslims. But the trust, whether it is running according to the laws of charity or not, it is a business, it is a system. Where does religion come from? Even then, we have kept two in 22. We have kept two in 14. But tell me one thing. What I said earlier, the entire village has been made a Waqf. Some temples have also been made. So, is there a non-Hindu dispute over the property or not?

Rahul Joshi: Yes.

Amit Shah: Yes or no?

Rahul Joshi: Yes.

Amit Shah: So, is there a party or not? If two Hindus look at it from the point of view of neutrality, then what will go wrong? That Hindus do not even have that much right in this country? This is a completely hollow thing, which the Congress has once again, to give basis to their ending existence, the policy of appeasement. And if that was all, then Priyanka ji did not even come to put a vote. Rahul ji did not even give a speech. If your party has a major policy, then what can be a bigger stage than the parliament? The biggest panchayat in the democratic system. Rahul ji did not even speak there. We had given 50% time to their party. 50%. And they say they do not let us speak. If it is the time of your party, then you will decide. You did not even speak. Now what can we do? Now we will shout. Then they say they do not let us speak. They do not let us speak. Rahul Gandhi could have spoken the whole time given to his party. Neither his party wants it, nor they want it.

Rahul Joshi: The opposition party is also saying that the narrative that you are making, you also said it with a lot of courage in the Lok Sabha. Yesterday, the Prime Minister gave a great speech here. He is saying that this is a way to get close to Pasmanda Muslims and women, poor Muslims. But my question is a little larger. Do you think that Muslims will ever come with the BJP? Will any trust be built in the future so that you will get some votes from there too?

Amit Shah: Rahul ji, everything is not vote bank politics. If everything was for votes, we would not have been able to make such big decisions. Some things in the country have to be done to remove the wrong policy. And only those who can do who think of the country. And if these people think that our aim is to get votes from Muslim sisters, Pasmanda Muslims, Sia, Bohra, Agha Khani, Mohammadya. then why are you getting them angry? You also accept it. They argue to do it. They also know that it is not a matter of votes. It is a matter of arrangement.

Rahul Joshi: When the CAA bill was passed, there was a little violence in the country. Are you worried about this?

Amit Shah: It is very good that you have mentioned the CAA. I wanted someone to ask, no one asked. You asked, it was good. Rahul Gandhi and company shouted in front of the whole country that the citizenship of Muslims will be lost from CAA. Now two years have passed since the CAA was fully implemented. I challenge Rahul Gandhi to tell us if even one Muslim has lost their citizenship. The Congress Party has misled the whole country. The Indian Alliance has misled them that the citizenship of Muslims will be lost. Citizenship will be lost. Violence was committed in the country. Those were responsible for violence.

Rahul Joshi: Don't you think there is any such fear?

Amit Shah: Some must have understood it.

Rahul Joshi: Let's move on to another subject, delimitation. This issue has also been very hot in the last few months. Can you assure the southern states that there will be no shortage of seats due to delimitation?

Amit Shah: People from the South might not be able to understand with just my plain assurance. I want to say something. There is a Congress government in Himachal Pradesh. Is there anything happening for delimitation?

Rahul Joshi: No.

Amit Shah: In some states where the Indian Alliance is in power, is something happening regarding delimitation?

Rahul Joshi: No.

Amit Shah: Why is it happening only in Tamil Nadu?

Rahul Joshi: Elections are coming.

Amit Shah: Has the government declared delimitation?

Rahul Joshi: No.

Amit Shah: Have we made a delimitation act?

Rahul Joshi: No.

Amit Shah: Has a Supreme Court judge been appointed in the delimitation commission? No. So what is happening today? The people of Tamil Nadu have become against you due to rampant corruption. To cover this up, you are raising this issue. What is happening in bringing delimitation? Let me clarify. There is no need for the political parties of the southern states to worry. The BJP promises that no injustice will be done to anyone. Your pro-rata seats will be as it is.

Rahul Joshi: So if there are 750 seats, according to the pro-rata, their seats will be 180 seats.

Amit Shah: I have said this before. But they don't want to listen. If they shut down chaos, they will have to answer for corruption. They will have to answer for nepotism. They don't want all these in elections.

Rahul Joshi: So if there are 750 seats, the seats of Uttar Pradesh will also increase to 110-120 seats. This is a very big number.

Amit Shah: Rahul Ji, the delimitation commission has to make an act every time. Until now, the act had a life span of 25 years. Now there will be a new act. If there is a new act, it will be in the parliament. That is not a hidden thing. Before that, there will be all-party consultations. There will be an act. It will go to the committee. Even if it goes directly, then also there will be a discussion. There is nothing yet, you are doing such a chaos just because you want an issue in the election.

Rahul Joshi: I was saying that if there are so many seats in Uttar Pradesh, like Mr. Mayawati used to say that the state should be divided into four parts.

Amit Shah: They are doing it for the vote bank. You are doing it for TRP. The delimitation has not come yet, why are you raising this issue again and again?

Rahul Joshi: Delimitation can only happen when new census come. So, how will this happen? When will this happen? And in this, the issue of caste censors which the opposition is also demanding, what is your opinion on this?

Amit Shah: Last delimitation was also done on the basis of the 2001 census. This is not necessary. But whenever delimitation has to be done, how will it be done? On what basis will it be done? And how will it be done? All this becomes a law and is passed in the parliament, then the process of delimitation begins because it is the basis of our democracy. The parliament and our legislature assembly are collage of our democracy and they come from there. So, designing their constituency cannot be a more important task in democracy than this. And the law of the parliament is passed only after the approval of the President. And no party is involved in this. In this, a judge of the Supreme Court is in charge of this.

Rahul Joshi: One more big issue is One Nation One Poll. There has been a lot of discussion about it. You have done a lot of work in it. How will you be able to do this? To pass this, you need two-thirds majority. What other parties can join you? How are you seeing this matter? In this tenure, can we see something happening?

Amit Shah: Look, you are asking such a question, like, Gandhi JI asked for the country to be liberated, so someone asked him how to do it because it was the rule of the British. It is like this. It's like this, brother - we've taken our issue to the people, and we're also holding programs among the public. In two or three years, the atmosphere will become such that no party will be able to oppose the idea of One Nation, One Election. Because, it is in the interest of the country. Can someone tell me - by holding elections again and again, spending money repeatedly, what exactly are we trying to do in this country? Why shouldn't elections be held all at once in this country? What is the reason? They say it is not constitutional. They don't argue. They just keep repeating the same one-liner over and over again that is it is not constitutional.

How is it not constitutional? If it is not, how did you conduct three elections? Until the Congress Party started to break the government, all the elections were conducted at the same time. And two or three states, four states became new, so the elections were conducted one after the other. To do it together, Congress dissolved the assembly. The same Congress Party is saying that it is against democracy. By dissolving the assembly of seven states, One Nation One Poll was conducted. And today they are opposing it. The people don't think like this. The people have their own way of thinking. The leaders themselves believe that if I say it, the people will believe it. And then when the results come, they say that there is a problem with the EVM. Actually, what you say, the people don't believe it.

Rahul Joshi: Now they are saying that you have also stolen the Maharashtra election.

Amit Shah: If they had won, what would they have said? We have been there for 10 years. In our 10 years, their Telangana government was formed. The government was formed in Chennai. It was formed in Bengal. It was formed in Himachal. How was it formed then?

Rahul Joshi: Speaking of Congress, I would like to ask you a question. The AICC session is going on. We are reading the news coming from there. The leaders believe that-- there are two kinds of thoughts. One is to abuse Modi, to speak against Modi, to stand behind Modi. And the other leaders believe that you should also put the alternative thought and alternative vision to people. What would you like to say about this?

Amit Shah: Look, this means that some sensible people are still there. Because it is the experience of so many years. From 2001 to 2025, the number of times Modi ji was abused, his mother also abused him, he also abused him. The number of times Modi ji was abused, he came out stronger. They don't know that our party's election is like a lotus which blooms in mud. It blooms more. We come out of the mud of abuses. They don't know that.

Rahul Joshi: Amit Ji, I am interviewing you after a long time. I spoke to you during the 2024 elections. I have a question for you. In 2024, you had a slogan, this time, beyond 400. The BJP got 240 seats. Where did it go wrong? Where did it go wrong in politics?

Amit Shah: Look, Rahul ji, I also believe that our seats have been reduced. It is a fact. But what they are saying, they were saying this and that. Tell me, if a player goes to play a match, no matter how the team is, no matter how the pitch is, what will he say? Will he say that he will lose today? We had 300 seats. We said 400. What is wrong in this? We always think that we will improve and we will. Even now, I say, we will win Tamil Nadu, we will win Bihar, and their dreams will be wiped clean.

Rahul Joshi: After 2024, you have also won three grand victories. You have won in Haryana very well. In Maharashtra, I was told by Mr. Fadnavis that he did not even think that so many seats would come and some many seats came. In Delhi, you defeated Mr. Kejriwal's government. How did this happen? How do you bounce back?

Amit Shah: Look, in the elections, some false propaganda was done, some confusing talks were spread. This had some effect. Some votes were less. When the result came, everyone was upset that we did not do this right with Modi JI. And because of this, the support of the BJP has also increased. And with great force, the victories in these three states have stamped approval on Modi Ji's work.

Rahul Joshi: You speak a lot in Hindi, so let's talk a little about a language issue. This is also related to the South.

Amit Shah: First, let me clarify a little. I'm not a Hindi language speaker. I am Gujarati. I speak about Hindi's favor, it is the propaganda of the opposition. I do speak about Indian languages. And I believe that this country has to stick to its culture, culture and history. So every language of the country has to be taken care of. And not just mine, every citizen of the country has a responsibility. Because a person can only think in their mother tongue. In their mother tongue, a person can do analysis, logic, based on which he can take decisions. And based on this, he can make an implementation plan. This whole process takes place in the mother tongue. But what can I do if some people's mother language do not belong to here. I was born in India. So I speak about Indian languages. All this shouting and noise they make is pointless.

Let me tell you that before we came here, I want to make it clear, before we came here, the Congress Party for so many years pushed Hindi and English on the children of all languages. The UPSC test of IAS and IPS did not come in other languages. In 2015, Narendra Modi decided that you can give papers in Tamil, in Gujarati, in Marathi, and in Malayali. By 2020, the admission of CAPFs, their papers are written only in Hindi and English. Today it is written in 13 languages. We have entered Tamil, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali. BJP has implemented this. You left it to English. In their time, there were no announcements in local languages at the local stations. That also we have implemented. In their time, medical and engineering compulsory had to be studied in English. We made it entry in local languages. Today, it has been done in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan. All the medical courses have been translated into Hindi. We will make arrangements to teach engineering in 13 languages before 2026.

Rahul Joshi: Is it wrong for DMK to say Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan? Is it wrong?

Amit Shah: Modi Ji had recently visited, and he said very clearly-if there's even a single DMK leader whose signature is in Tamil, then show me.

Rahul Joshi: They do it in English.

Amit Shah: Our states have translated medical and engineering courses in their language. They don't even start in Tamil. And they will talk about Tamil.

Rahul Joshi: One hot topic, which is not just a topic of India, but a topic of the whole world, is the topic of tariff. So, what will be the effect of this tariff war on India? Please explain this.

Amit Shah: Look, it would be too hasty to assess the impact. Tariff has not been imposed only on India. It has been imposed on many countries. A higher tariff has been imposed on our competitors than on us. So, what will be the impact of this? It's possible that our goods may be in greater demand, and arrangements might be made for our products to reach many countries. It's a very complex issue, and no one should try to assess its impact in such haste.

Rahul Joshi: The kind of panic that's being talked about. Do you think there's any such panic in India?

Amit Shah: No, I believe that the people of this country never fall into such panic. This is a bit of discussion in media only. So yes, there is an impact-it's not that there's no impact-but gradually, things will stabilize

Rahul Joshi: Everyone wants to know. Some of my colleagues have also said that I must ask you-who will be the next president of the Bharatiya Janata Party? This has been a topic of discussion for a long time, it's been in the headlines too, but no specific name has come out yet.

Amit Shah: It hasn't been decided yet.

Rahul Joshi: Not at all. How much time will it take? Your smile makes me feel like you're hiding something.

Amit Shah: No, nothing has been decided yet. Come on, the president of a party with 13 crore members can't stay hidden, right? The moment it's destined, it will be made public. As soon as the nomination is filed, the name will be announced immediately.

Rahul Joshi: So why is it taking so long?

Amit Shah: Yes, it is taking time.

Rahul Joshi: I remember once I asked him a lot of questions-how many tickets will be given out, who will get what-and he said, "When the time comes, you'll be invited too, and then you'll find out. Now, a fire broke out at the house of a Delhi High Court judge-specifically in the outhouse-and during the firefighting operation, a large amount of cash was recovered. So my question is: an image like this has come before the country. Are you satisfied with the action being taken behind this? What should be done? How can people be assured that everything is fair?

Amit Shah: Look, the traditions that have been followed so far, is that if an issue arises concerning a High Court judge, then it is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who has to take the decision. He has made a committee. We should have faith in the judicial process of the Supreme Court. Everything will be clear when the report comes. I just want to say that there was no delay in the decision to form a committee. And I hope that soon-since the public is also viewing this very seriously-that soon the committee's report will be out, and after that, steps will be taken to ensure such incidents do not happen in the future. Through the Supreme Court's channel, this will be made public. We'll also see, and you all should too.

Rahul Joshi: Now, a slightly related question regarding the judiciary. There's been an ongoing issue about the appointment process in the higher judiciary. There was a talk regarding NJAC, but the Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional. What's your opinion on this?

Amit Shah: Well, see, I cannot have a personal opinion because I am bound by a party. I don't hold any personal opinion. I can express my opinion within my party. The party takes a collective decision. Similarly, even in government, I don't have personal views. Personal views are only expressed when the Prime Minister calls for discussion, or when I present them in the Cabinet. Outside of that, the Cabinet's decision is our decision. But yes, I believe that this incident has sparked a new debate. There's considerable public interest. Let's wait and see what the committee says.

Rahul Joshi: You are saying that there should be a discussion after that.

Amit Shah: Well, the debate is already happening. Who can stop anyone from debating? But the clarity will come based on what the committee reports.

Rahul Joshi: Let's now move toward Jammu and Kashmir. You were there yesterday as well. When will statehood be granted? What do you think? And how do you assess the new government?

Amit Shah: Look, BJP is an all India based party. We have created a government under the leadership of two leaders in India. We created it under the leadership of Atal ji. And for a long time, we created it under the leadership of Modi ji. The BJP has never thought about who the state government belongs to when it is in power. Nor are we thinking about Kashmir. I went to review it yesterday. Mr. Omar was sitting with me. We had lunch together. His photo was also very good. And the way we behave with all the state governments is the same. But our stand is firm on the matter of security and separatism. We will not compromise on this. Nor will we let anyone do it.

Rahul Joshi: Recently, some minor infiltration incidents have surfaced in the Katwa region. Do you think this is linked to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism?

Amit Shah: No, no. Infiltration can't come from Russia, only from Pakistan. It can only happen from there. And they've been doing this for years. But our country's soldiers are very alert. The government is also alert. We won't let any major incident happen here. And if it does, we will take strict action.

Rahul Joshi: Let's move slightly towards the issue of illegal migration. You've raised this matter several times, especially about Bangladesh, where this increased after a political upheaval. So what steps will you take to make it difficult and to control it?

Amit Shah: First of all, I would like to appeal to the people of Bengal: in the upcoming elections, please form a BJP government. This problem will end right there because Mamata ji accuses us of not monitoring the border properly. But how is the infiltration happening, and how are they traveling from Bengal to Delhi and Bengal to Jammu? What is the Indian government doing?

Everyone in the country knows that despite fencing the border, about 250 kilometers of it is such that fencing is simply not possible-there are drains, large rivers, difficult geographical conditions. And around 400 kilometers is such where the Bengal government is not giving us land for fencing. When you have about 600 kilometers of open border, stopping infiltration becomes very difficult-especially during heavy rains, cold, and summers, when the drains overflow and people cross through dense jungles.

But I want to raise a small question and make things clear for the people of this country. They come here in this country, whether Rohingyas or Bangladeshis, but where their voter card is being made, so that they travel all over India-from Uttarakhand to Kashmir? All these voter cards are being made in Bengal's 24 Parganas district. Thousands of fake documents found on arrested Bangladeshis show the same district-it's not even changed. It's all fake-voter cards, Aadhaar cards, everything-from 24 Parganas.

Now I want to ask Mamata ji, who is responsible for this? Okay, someone entered illegally, fine-the public will figure that out. But once someone enters a village, wouldn't the village patwari know that 25 new people have arrived? Wouldn't the local police be aware? Who is making their Aadhaar cards? Who is issuing their voter cards? She says that Aadhaar is under the central government, but the final authority is the District Collector, who is under your government. Even the Election Commission's local representative is the Collector, who again is under your government. These parties in the INDIA alliance have shown a vote-bank mindset in this matter.

Rahul Joshi: So what is the solution?

Amit Shah: Why was it stopped in Assam then? We will definitely find a solution. But I want to use this platform to tell the people of Bengal that there's a simple solution-just form a BJP government, and the solution will come automatically.

Rahul Joshi: What do you think? Will BJP form the government in the next election? Last time, you came very close but couldn't form the government. Even in the Lok Sabha elections, there was a setback.

Amit Shah: Look, we had four members earlier-we reached 77. The media, which includes you, often misses this point. Congress ruled for 27 years and went down to zero, but no one says they faced a setback. The Communist party, which ruled for 27 years, also went down to zero-still no mention of a setback. But we went from 4 to 77 in one election-that's almost a 20-times jump. Governments are formed like that, and we've formed many.

Rahul Joshi: Yes, 77 was a big achievement. You did perform very well. But I was saying that in the upcoming elections, people had high expectations from the last Lok Sabha polls. The seats were fewer this time.

Amit Shah: Naturally, there are fewer seats. But since then, we have expanded our organization a lot. We've increased membership, even in dry areas. We have appointed full-time workers. We are looking at this seriously. Bengal is not just important for the BJP-it is important for the country. It's essential that either BJP or any nationalist party wins there. That's why we're focusing on Bengal.

Rahul Joshi: Now regarding the 25,000 annulments-Supreme Court's decision-Mamata ji is saying no one's job will go. She says, "Let's see who dares to act."

Amit Shah: She can say anything. But I can't say I won't accept a Supreme Court decision. Otherwise, you will also take away the little hair that I have left.

Rahul Joshi: Muhammad Yunus says that there is a question in the context of Bangladesh. The interim leader says that the North-East states are landlocked states. And China has to do something through Bangladesh. There is market access all around the sea. How do you see this? How do you see his statement?

Amit Shah: Look, I just want to say that Narendra Modi's government will not let anyone set their eyes on an inch of India's land. There is no question of entry.

Rahul Joshi: I have asked you this question a couple of times. I will ask you again because this is a new tenure. In this third tenure, it is about the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir POK. What do you have to say about this?

Amit Shah: Look, India's position is very clear. It has been clear for years that the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir is ours. As far as when it will come, that is the question. You also understand this much, Rahul, I can't declare a date or make a public strategy on public stage. But every Indian government is responsible for asserting that POK is ours. It's not just a claim - we have policy, historical documents, and legal standing.

Rahul Joshi: Pakistan says that India is behind the attacks in Balochistan. What's your view?

Amit Shah: They can't handle it anymore, so they'll just keep saying something or the other. But their problem should be dealt with.

Rahul Joshi: But does India support the independence of the Baluch people?

Amit Shah: Look, there is no question of India's support. The way the government is running in their country, there is dissatisfaction in some areas. We cannot repair this.

Rahul Joshi: There is a demand for a Hindu nation in Nepal. How do you see this demand?

Amit Shah: There is democracy there as well. Everyone does their own demands.

Rahul Joshi: China's stance is getting softened here. We see that the talks are increasing. Are there any hopes of investments from China?

Amit Shah: Look, I am not a media person. These statements do not determine the form of the country. We have a lot of issues. If a positive solution comes out, then it is a good thing.

Rahul Joshi: Tavurr Rana is being extradited - he'll be here in a few days. Will the same happen for David Headley? Is there hope?

Amit Shah: The Modi government is committed to bringing to justice anyone who has harmed India, our citizens, or our honor. Tavurr Rana's return is a big diplomatic success for our government. During previous governments, those involved in bomb blasts were never brought back. Now, he'll be presented before the courts and punished under the Constitution. This is a great achievement for the country.

Rahul Joshi: Amit Ji, you have made a big statement on Naxalism. What is its roadmap? How will it end? You have also given a time frame. Tell our viewers a little about it.

Amit Shah: Look, Naxalism was around 120 districts. Now, it is limited to 12 districts. Once upon a time, there was a dream of Pasupati to Tirupati. That dream has been shattered. Bihar has been liberated. Jharkhand has been liberated. Maharashtra has almost been liberated. Only a few districts are left. Madhya Pradesh has almost been liberated. Only a few districts are left. Telangana has been liberated. Andhra Pradesh has been liberated. Orissa has been liberated. Kerala has been liberated. Karnataka has been liberated. Now, only a few districts are left. And it has been a little late because the government of the Congress Party came five years in the middle.

When I say this, the Congress Party accuses me that you are a partisan in the fight against Naxalism. But I want to give an example. In 24, our government was formed in Chhattisgarh. From 24 to 25, a total of 436 Naxals were killed, 1,364 were arrested, and 1,400 surrendered. This is not even a total of even 15 years in Chhattisgarh. We have ended the security vacuum. In the last five years, we have built about 380 camps. And the soldiers of CRPF, the soldiers of ITBP, the soldiers of BSF, and the police of Chhattisgarh have been working hard in the dense forest, if I want to use the word, then I'd say they have been working hard and are behind the Naxals.

Even now, I want to say through this platform: many have surrendered, laid down arms, returned to the mainstream, and are living peaceful lives. In the Northeast, 10,000 have surrendered. We've signed 20 agreements. Terrorism in the Northeast has largely ended. But one thing is certain - by 31st March 2026, Naxal violence will be history. It is a firm commitment of our government to make India free from Naxalism.

Rahul Joshi: In one year. Amit ji, the activities of Khalistan are increasing in India. What is your opinion? And how capable is the Punjab government in controlling this with you?

Amit Shah: See, this is the primary responsibility of the Punjab government, but the central government also has a duty. Anyone who talks about breaking the country, under any name, will not be tolerated. We will crush it with full force. That's the BJP government's approach.

Rahul Joshi: What role will BJP play in the upcoming Punjab elections? Will you ally with Akali Dal?

Amit Shah: It's said that Brahma created the universe, but even Brahma couldn't predict what will happen in Punjab elections - it's such a complex scenario. But I hope that before the elections, the people of Punjab will reach towards a good decision and a government of full power will be formed.

Rahul Joshi: In Manipur, you are creating an atmosphere of talk between the two communities. How long will the President's rule remain?

Amit Shah: The President's rule has not been fully implemented. We have kept the assembly in a quiet state. We are trying to establish peace between the two communities. Some success has been achieved. The incidents have been stopped, but some success has been achieved in the talks as well. But I think there will be more.

Rahul Joshi: The nearest next election is in Bihar. What do you think in Bihar?

Amit Shah: NDA will form a government with the biggest majority in Bihar. There is no doubt about it.

Rahul Joshi: Will the seat sharing be the same as it was last time?

Amit Shah: Our party and our alliance will decide.

Rahul Joshi: Will Nitish Ji be the face of the election?

Amit Shah:
Nitish Ji is the Chief Minister. There is no doubt about it.

Rahul Joshi: Will he be the Chief Minister if you win?

Amit Shah: We are fighting the elections under the leadership of Nitish Ji.

Rahul Joshi: I would like to ask you some personal questions. I ask 2-3 questions every time. But this time...

Amit Shah: What will you do by asking personal questions? Nothing will come out.

Rahul Joshi: I will still try. I have heard that you were born on the day of Sarad Poonam. People know you as Poonam Bhai for a long time. You were named late. What was the reason for this? Please tell us.

Amit Shah: My aunt had vowed that I would be named when I was 5 years old. Because I was born on the day of Poonam. Everyone used to call me Poonam. There is no big secret in this. It happens with every child in the village.

Rahul Joshi: I have heard a story from you. When you were 11 years old, your family wanted you to go to the US. So you left home and ran away.

Amit Shah: I will not leave India and go anywhere. I will stay here. I will fight here. And I will live here.

Rahul Joshi: Next year, 25 years will be completed in Modi's governance. You have worked closely with him for a long time. Tell us something about this chemistry. How have you been working together for so many years? How do you complement each other?

Amit Shah: When two workers or leaders work together for a long time, you can understand each other's work. You can understand each other's way of thinking. You can understand each other's nature. Whether it is Modi ji or me, we have to work according to our ideology. Our ideology is our guideline. That is why there is no discord. They also think for the ideology, the country and the constitution. I also think for the ideology, the country and the constitution. So there is no question of discord. When it comes to contributing to each other, we are definitely contributing to each other, but in a different way. I try to keep my colleagues with me to fulfill the goals set by Modi ji. This is my way of contribution. Modi ji is our leader. All of us workers who were trained with him, who worked under him-whatever small mistakes we made, Modi ji forgives and corrects them. In doing so, he contributes to making us complete. This is how we contribute to each other.

But the example you are giving of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, there are thousands of workers in this country who are connected to Narendra Modi. From making a worker to thinking in a big way, Narendra Modi has done this process. Many of our leaders have done this. This is a very big party. And because of this, we lost many elections, but our party has never broken. We have lost elections. We have never become clean. Congress has lost elections in UP and got swiped away. Congress has lost elections in Bihar and got swiped away. We don't get swept away. This is the reason why our workers work for ideology. They work for the country. They work for the constitution of the country.

Rahul Joshi: Amit ji, one last question. If one day you have complete free time, you don't have to do anything, you don't have any meeting, you have complete free time, then what will you do?

Amit Shah: I have 8000 books. I have a lot to read. And I have a lot of interest in classical music that I'm not able to give time to that. I will definitely read books. And I will read while listening to music.

Rahul Joshi: Amit ji, today you joined us. You answered all our questions. Thank you very much for coming to Rising Bharat.