Three days after he became the Home Minister, Amit Shah on Sunday paid tribute to fallen policemen at the National Police Memorial in Delhi.
Shah placed a wreath at the memorial before taking a tour of the National Police Museum.
“I visited the National Police Memorial this morning and paid tributes to our martyrs of the central and state police forces, who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty,” Shah tweeted.
“I salute their valour and courage. A grateful nation is indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice,” he added.
I visited the National Police Memorial this morning and paid tributes to our martyrs of the central and state police forces, who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
I salute their valour and courage. A grateful nation is indebted to them for their supreme sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/xNWXV2Q7yg
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 2, 2019
This is the first time that the 54-year-old, who scripted BJP’s massive victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, is holding a Union Cabinet Ministry.
Located in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, the memorial is spread over 6.12 acre and has a 30-foot-tall central sculpture made of granite, a museum and a “Wall of Valour” with the names of policemen who died on duty since Independence.
Shah took charge as Home Minister on Saturday, succeeding Rajnath Singh who has been given the charge of Defence Ministry.
The Ministries of Home, Defence, Finance and External Affairs are considered the ‘Big 4’. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs, which handles matters concerning internal security, is considered second only to that of the Prime Minister’s Office.
In his new role, Shah is expected to take crucial decisions related to the country’s relations with immediate neighbours and the Centre’s relations with states.
All eyes are on Jammu-Kashmir due to the BJP’s stand on Article 370 and Article 35A, which grant special status to the state.
Shah had during the elections maintained that the BJP is committed to abolition of Article 370 and Article 35A – which was opposed by parties in the state.
Illegal immigration is also on the Home Minister’s table. Shah had called illegal immigrants “termites” who are “eating the grain that should go to the poor”.