Curbing insurgency in the Northeast has been his biggest achievement as home minister, according to Rajnath Singh who says Naxal violence in the country is also on the wane.

The Union home minister asserts that BJP will come back to power with a thumping majority as people want the good governance of the Narendra Modi dispensation to continue.

"The way Modiji has led the country at national and international levels in the last five years, there is not an iota of doubt about our win with a three-fourths majority in these polls," he claims.

Singh says as home minister, he worked, among other things, towards curbing insurgency in the Northeast and Naxalism in parts of the country.&nbsp;

"Insurgency in Northeast is almost finished," he told PTI in an interview.

On Naxalism, he says, "We are now in the most favourable position since 1971, when more security personnel used to get killed than Naxals. Now the trend has reversed... Our security forces have been giving a befitting reply and eliminating Naxals."

Earlier Naxals operated in 126 districts, but now their activities are limited to just six-seven districts, he says.&nbsp;

"We are quite sure that in coming days, we will root them out. The elimination of insurgency in the Northeast has been my biggest achievement as home minister...Even beyond my expectations," the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh says.

He also says that as home minister, he made a maximum number of visits to Jammu and Kashmir and tried to find a long-term solution to the region's problems, though it could not yield the desired results.

"Now, the time has come to review articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution (providing special status and rights to the state and its citizens) and assess what Jammu and Kashmir got and what is lost due to these two provisions," he says.

"My ministry also revoked the registration of 20,000 organisations which used to get money from overseas, under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, and were involved in activities which were not in the interest of our country," he says.

Singh, who is contesting Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow, says he does not believe that Modi's persona is overshadowing the work of other lawmakers and ministers.&nbsp; 
"Whatever ministers or MPs do, they do it after getting the team leader's consent, it is but natural. All policy decisions are taken under the chairmanship of the prime minister. So, saying that the work of other ministers or MPs is overshadowed is not right," he says.

"People are smart enough and politically aware. They have their own parameters to gauge public representatives' records and performances," he adds.

To a query why the BJP's campaign has no mention of demonetisation and GST, Singh, who headed the party's manifesto committee, says they are no longer poll issues.

"Their (positive and expected) results have started surfacing. GST has been simplified several times and we have made it abundantly clear that whenever there is a need, we will come up with more simplifications so that the business class does not suffer," he says.

Asked why the BJP has 'imported' candidates from outside the party, like Bhojpuri film actors Nirahua and Ravi Kishan, Bollywood star Sunny Deol and Pragya Thakur, he says it shows the party's "inclusive and pluralistic" character.

"Let me clarify that the BJP's core cadre is quite strong and we have no dearth of candidates. But there are some people in every society who have a large fan following and have some intrinsic political acumen.&nbsp;

"When we get these people in our party, they become an integral part of the BJP family and by this way, our party becomes more inclusive and pluralistic," he reasons.

Asked about the BJP fielded only a few Muslim candidates, he says though he was not in a position to tell the exact number, the party has given tickets to members from the community.&nbsp;

"We are very careful about our core principal - 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. Unfortunately, the opposition parties are unsuccessfully trying to create a fear factor. But we have built a sense of confidence and I am quite sure that we will get their (Muslims) bigger support this time than what we got in the previous Lok Sabha election," he claims.

Singh says North Indians living in Maharashtra always supported the BJP ever since this party came to existence.

He also dubs the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance as an "unbreakable bond".

"The coming together of two parties with same nationalist ideology is very rare. But this is possible only here in Maharashtra. Though we had some differences, but they have been resolved. The BJP-Shiv Sena have an unbreakable bond and we have proved it," he adds.&nbsp;

Curbing insurgency in the Northeast has been his biggest achievement as home minister, according to Rajnath Singh who says Naxal violence in the country is also on the wane.

Curbing insurgency in the Northeast has been his biggest achievement as home minister, according to Rajnath Singh who says Naxal violence in the country is also on the wane. The Union home minister asserts that BJP will come back to power with a thumping majority as people want the good governance of the Narendra Modi dispensation to continue. "The way Modiji has led the country at national and international levels in the last five years, there is not an iota of doubt about our win with a three-fourths majority in these polls," he claims. Singh says as home minister, he worked, among other things, towards curbing insurgency in the Northeast and Naxalism in parts of the country. "Insurgency in Northeast is almost finished," he told PTI in an interview. On Naxalism, he says, "We are now in the most favourable position since 1971, when more security personnel used to get killed than Naxals. Now the trend has reversed... Our security forces have been giving a befitting reply and eliminating Naxals." Earlier Naxals operated in 126 districts, but now their activities are limited to just six-seven districts, he says. "We are quite sure that in coming days, we will root them out. The elimination of insurgency in the Northeast has been my biggest achievement as home minister...Even beyond my expectations," the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh says. He also says that as home minister, he made a maximum number of visits to Jammu and Kashmir and tried to find a long-term solution to the region's problems, though it could not yield the desired results. "Now, the time has come to review articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution (providing special status and rights to the state and its citizens) and assess what Jammu and Kashmir got and what is lost due to these two provisions," he says. "My ministry also revoked the registration of 20,000 organisations which used to get money from overseas, under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, and were involved in activities which were not in the interest of our country," he says. Singh, who is contesting Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow, says he does not believe that Modi's persona is overshadowing the work of other lawmakers and ministers. "Whatever ministers or MPs do, they do it after getting the team leader's consent, it is but natural. All policy decisions are taken under the chairmanship of the prime minister. So, saying that the work of other ministers or MPs is overshadowed is not right," he says. "People are smart enough and politically aware. They have their own parameters to gauge public representatives' records and performances," he adds. To a query why the BJP's campaign has no mention of demonetisation and GST, Singh, who headed the party's manifesto committee, says they are no longer poll issues. "Their (positive and expected) results have started surfacing. GST has been simplified several times and we have made it abundantly clear that whenever there is a need, we will come up with more simplifications so that the business class does not suffer," he says. Asked why the BJP has 'imported' candidates from outside the party, like Bhojpuri film actors Nirahua and Ravi Kishan, Bollywood star Sunny Deol and Pragya Thakur, he says it shows the party's "inclusive and pluralistic" character. "Let me clarify that the BJP's core cadre is quite strong and we have no dearth of candidates. But there are some people in every society who have a large fan following and have some intrinsic political acumen. "When we get these people in our party, they become an integral part of the BJP family and by this way, our party becomes more inclusive and pluralistic," he reasons. Asked about the BJP fielded only a few Muslim candidates, he says though he was not in a position to tell the exact number, the party has given tickets to members from the community. "We are very careful about our core principal - 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. Unfortunately, the opposition parties are unsuccessfully trying to create a fear factor. But we have built a sense of confidence and I am quite sure that we will get their (Muslims) bigger support this time than what we got in the previous Lok Sabha election," he claims. Singh says North Indians living in Maharashtra always supported the BJP ever since this party came to existence. He also dubs the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance as an "unbreakable bond". "The coming together of two parties with same nationalist ideology is very rare. But this is possible only here in Maharashtra. Though we had some differences, but they have been resolved. The BJP-Shiv Sena have an unbreakable bond and we have proved it," he adds.

Curbing insurgency in Northeast my biggest achievement as home minister: Rajnath Singh

Indian human rights activist Irom Sharmila ended a 16-year hunger strike -- thought to be the world&#39;s longest -- today to stand for election.&nbsp; 
 
Here are five things to know about the woman known as the &quot;Iron Lady of Manipur&quot;. 
 
Who is Irom Sharmila? 
 
The 44-year-old poet and activist was born in a small village in the remote and insurgency-wracked northeast Indian state of Manipur. She belongs to the Meitei ethnic group who dominate Manipur. 
 
She began fasting in 2000 after allegedly witnessing the army kill 10 people at a bus stop near her home. 
 
She has been held in judicial custody almost ever since, and has spent much of the last 16 years confined to a hospital ward. 
 
What is her hunger strike about? 
 
She is campaigning for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur, a remote and impoverished Indian state that is home to a number of separatist insurgent groups. 
 
The controversial act allows India&#39;s security forces to shoot on sight and arrest anybody without a warrant and is in force in Indian-administered Kashmir and across much of the northeast. 
 
Last month the Supreme Court ordered an investigation into the use of &quot;excessive and retaliatory&quot; force by police and the military in Manipur. 
 
How has she been kept alive? 
 
She has been force-fed via a nasal drip in hospital. Images taken when she emerges from hospital to make one of her frequent court appearances in Manipur show her looking emaciated and frail, with plastic tubes taped to her nose. 
 
What will she do next? 
 
She plans to stand for office in upcoming state elections in Manipur and continue her fight through politics for the repeal of the AFSPA. She has said she will stand as an independent candidate. 
 
She has also said she intends to marry her fiance, a British national of Indian origin, whom she has corresponded with by letter. 
 
How much support does she have? 
 
Amnesty International declared her a Prisoner of Conscience in 2013 and she has received several prestigious international prizes, including a lifetime achievement award from the Asian Human Rights Commission. 
 
But support in her home state has waned and in recent years she has hinted at her frustration with this. 
 
Some in Manipur have criticised her choice of partner because he is from outside the state, with one insurgent group threatening to kill her if she marries him. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

She began her hunger strike in 2000 after allegedly witnessing the army kill 10 people at a bus stop near her home.

Indian human rights activist Irom Sharmila ended a 16-year hunger strike -- thought to be the world's longest -- today to stand for election. Here are five things to know about the woman known as the "Iron Lady of Manipur". Who is Irom Sharmila? The 44-year-old poet and activist was born in a small village in the remote and insurgency-wracked northeast Indian state of Manipur. She belongs to the Meitei ethnic group who dominate Manipur. She began fasting in 2000 after allegedly witnessing the army kill 10 people at a bus stop near her home. She has been held in judicial custody almost ever since, and has spent much of the last 16 years confined to a hospital ward. What is her hunger strike about? She is campaigning for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur, a remote and impoverished Indian state that is home to a number of separatist insurgent groups. The controversial act allows India's security forces to shoot on sight and arrest anybody without a warrant and is in force in Indian-administered Kashmir and across much of the northeast. Last month the Supreme Court ordered an investigation into the use of "excessive and retaliatory" force by police and the military in Manipur. How has she been kept alive? She has been force-fed via a nasal drip in hospital. Images taken when she emerges from hospital to make one of her frequent court appearances in Manipur show her looking emaciated and frail, with plastic tubes taped to her nose. What will she do next? She plans to stand for office in upcoming state elections in Manipur and continue her fight through politics for the repeal of the AFSPA. She has said she will stand as an independent candidate. She has also said she intends to marry her fiance, a British national of Indian origin, whom she has corresponded with by letter. How much support does she have? Amnesty International declared her a Prisoner of Conscience in 2013 and she has received several prestigious international prizes, including a lifetime achievement award from the Asian Human Rights Commission. But support in her home state has waned and in recent years she has hinted at her frustration with this. Some in Manipur have criticised her choice of partner because he is from outside the state, with one insurgent group threatening to kill her if she marries him. (AFP)

Who is Irom?

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Curbing insurgency in Northeast my biggest achievement as home minister: Rajnath Singh

Who is Irom?