India's securitypolicy was either "influenced or was overlapping" with the foreignpolicy and it was only after Narendra Modi became prime minister that thecountry got an independent security strategy, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.
Amit Shah wasdelivering the 'Rustamji memorial lecture' and it was being attended bypersonnel and officers of the Border Security Force (BSF).
He also gave waygallantry medals to serving personnel and for those killed in the line of dutyfrom the country's largest frontier force.
''I used to think ifthere is a security policy of this country or not? Till Narendra Modi becamethe prime minister we did not have any independent security policy,'' Shahsaid.
He said, ''It waseither influenced by foreign policy or it was overlapping with the foreignpolicy.''
After Narendra Modibecame prime minister, the country got an independent security policy, headded.
''Our idea is to havepeaceful relations with all but if someone disturbs our borders, if someonechallenges our sovereignty, the priority of our security policy is that such anattempt will be replied in the same language,'' Shah stated further.
He said this securitypolicy was a ''big achievement'' as the country wanted such a good plan.
''I believe withoutthis (security policy) neither the country can progress nor democracy canprosper,'' the home minister said ''Modiji (PM) has done this big job. I do notwant to give examples as it is well known,'' he said adding the policy was madeoperational on the ground by his government.
Shah also declaredthat his government is working to ensure that there "will be no gap in thefencing" along India's borders by 2022.
He said about threeper cent of the country's border was unfenced at present and this has left a"big space" for infiltration of terrorists and other border crimeslike smuggling of arms, ammunition and narcotics among others.
The home ministersaid India will soon develop indigenous counter-drone technology which is beingcarried out by technical organisations like the DRDO and some other agencies.
His comments come inthe backdrop of the first time drone attack on the IAF station in Jammu lastmonth where two unmanned aerial vehicles dropped bombs injuring two airmen anddamaging a portion of a building inside.
The minister addedthat the security and technology development establishment was also working onartificial intelligence and robotic technologies as part of a long drawnproject.
There are about 2.65lakh personnel strong, the BSF guards over 6,300 kms of Indian fronts withPakistan and Bangladesh.
The memorial lectureand investiture ceremony is an annual affair to remember the contribution ofits first chief or director general (DG) K F Rustamji.
A officer of the 1938batch of the British time Imperial Police, Rustamji headed the BSF for nineyears. He died in 2003.