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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday underscored the need for a uniform Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) structure across the country, directing all state police forces to implement it at the earliest to strengthen India's counter-terrorism preparedness.
Inaugurating the two-day Anti-Terrorism Conference-2025 in New Delhi, organised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Shah said the ATS plays an extremely critical role in preventing and responding to terror threats. He noted that the NIA has worked extensively to develop a common ATS framework and has already shared it with state police forces. A uniform structure, he said, would ensure standardised preparedness and response mechanisms at every level across the country. The Home Minister also released an updated crime manual prepared by the NIA, urging Directors General of Police to constitute dedicated teams in their states to study and adopt it for investigation and prosecution. He further announced the launch of a weapons e-database and a national database on organised crime networks, calling them vital tools in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. Shah warned that organised crime syndicates, which often begin with activities such as extortion and ransom, eventually develop links with terror groups after their leaders flee abroad. He said states must work under the guidance of the NIA and CBI, in coordination with the Intelligence Bureau, to use these databases to dismantle such networks. He also announced that the government is preparing a plan for a "360-degree assault" on organised crime. Referring to recent terror incidents, Shah said the attack in Baisaran Valley was aimed at disrupting communal harmony and undermining the resurgence of development and tourism in Kashmir. Based on precise intelligence, security forces neutralised all three terrorists, sending a strong message to Pakistan. He said the perpetrators were punished through Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev, and that the investigation into the Pahalgam attack would expose Pakistan on international platforms. The Home Minister also lauded the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other agencies for thwarting a major terror plot in Delhi, recovering three tonnes of explosives and arresting the entire conspiracy network. Calling these probes examples of "watertight investigation", Shah emphasised enhanced coordination through platforms such as NATGRID, NIDAAN, the Multi Agency Centre and the National Memory Bank to ensure cases are not investigated in isolation. (ANI)
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