AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at the BSF’s 61st Raising Day in Haripur, Bhuj, on Friday, sharply linked electoral integrity with national security, declaring that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists was essential to “remove every infiltrator” from India.
He alleged that certain INDIA bloc parties were attempting to weaken the exercise, even as he praised the BSF’s role in national security and outlined a two-year modernisation and welfare roadmap for the force.
Transforming the ceremonial event into a robust pitch for electoral vigilance, Shah asserted that the SIR was not merely an administrative exercise but “a battle to protect India’s democracy and the nation itself.”
Setting the tone with a forceful pledge, he said, “Mein aaj yeh spasht karna chahta hoon ki hum is desh mein se ek ek ghuspetiye ko chun-chun kar bahar nikalenge… yeh humara pran hai. The SIR is a process to protect the country and our democracy.”
Each word, delivered with deliberate emphasis, tied the electoral exercise directly to national security, turning voter-roll cleansing into a political focal point.
From this foundation, Shah launched a political attack, alleging that certain INDIA bloc parties were deliberately weakening the fight against infiltrators.
Without naming them, he said these parties were opposing the SIR and resisting the Election Commission’s efforts to clean the rolls. Linking electoral vigilance to public mandate, he said, “Some political parties are trying to weaken the campaign to eliminate infiltrators… I want to tell them that the Bihar elections are a mandate from the people.”
Intertwining political messaging with civic duty, he appealed to citizens to support the Election Commission during the SIR, calling it vital for safeguarding democratic institutions.
Shah then shifted focus from electoral vigilance to border security, invoking Operation Sindoor as evidence of India’s uncompromising stance.
He recounted how a Pakistan-sponsored terror group carried out a “cowardly attack” on tourists in Pahalgam, killing them after asking their religion. Quoting the Prime Minister’s directive that a “befitting and crushing reply” must follow, Shah asserted that the government responded swiftly and decisively.
Detailing the operation with calibrated political force, he said, “Through Operation Sindoor, we gave only a limited response, yet Pakistan treated the strike on the terrorists as an attack on itself. The moment the Pakistani army came into action, BSF jawans did not fall short in giving a befitting and resounding reply.”
Within days, he said, Pakistan was “forced to announce a unilateral ceasefire,” sending a global message that India’s borders were not to be tested.
Interlinking national security with national pride, Shah declared, “As long as the BSF stands on the border, no enemy can cross into India.” He hailed the BSF as the world’s frontline example of courage, saying the force had proved over six years that no adversary can even “cast an eye” on India’s territory.
He reminded jawans that the entire nation—from the Prime Minister to ordinary citizens—“sleeps peacefully” because of their readiness and sacrifice. Calling them the country’s “first responders,” he said many had laid down their lives in service of the tricolour, and their legacy forms the foundation of India’s confidence.
Turning from battlefield achievements to institutional planning, Shah announced a detailed two-year roadmap blending political intent with administrative reform. He said the coming year would be dedicated entirely to BSF modernisation, while the following year would focus on welfare initiatives for jawans and their families.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added, the aim was to transform the BSF into “the world’s most modern and most capable border security force within the next five years.”
Promising new schemes and stronger support systems, Shah assured families of jawans posted in harsh border conditions that the government would “leave no stone unturned” to secure their welfare.
In a tightly interlinked address, Shah fused electoral vigilance, political accusation, border security and long-term institutional reform, framing them all as components of a single national mission: cleansing voter rolls, defeating infiltration, strengthening the BSF and defending India’s sovereignty.
