Speaking two days after Advani’s hard-hitting speech on the UPA government’s track record on internal security in Jabalpur, Jaiswal suggested Advani avoid making such statements on sensitive issues like internal security. “Kuchcha kshetra aise hain jahan alochana simit evam maryadit hoti hai,” the minister remarked.

Presenting figures regarding the UPA government’s success on the internal security front, Jaiswal said his government has been successful in not only checking the growth of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir but also on other fronts, like Naxalism and terrorism across the country.

“I won’t claim the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is completely peaceful. But the state is currently witnessing the most peaceful phase in the last two decades,” the minister said. He credited the people of Jammu and Kashmir for this peace.

Referring to terrorism in the North East, the minister said the roots of terrorism were ethnic. “If there is no improvement, there is also not deterioration in the condition of the North East,” he added.

The minister said conditions in Chattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand were worse as far as Naxals are concerned. “I ask the prime-minister-in-waiting, who rules these four states,” the minister said.

He said better governance in Andhra Pradesh has delivered a good result and this extremist-gripped state is peaceful. “It was our government that gave priority to the Naxal problem and the PM held a meeting with the CMs of the naxal-affected states,” he said.

Jaiswal also told reporters that a total of 13,000 security forces personnel are deployed in Chattisgarh. He also highlighted the failure of governments in naxal-affected states in filling up vacancies in the police force, particularly in the rank of sub-inspector.

Attacking Advani, he said the former home minister should not forget incidents like the Parliament attack, attack on the Manipur Assembly, the attack on the Akshardham and Raghunath temples, and the release of terrorists in Kandhar. “The reality is we have improved the condition despite inheriting a ‘flop’ policy from a ‘flop government’,” he added.