Amit Shah becomes India’s longest-serving Union Home Minister
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a new record by becoming the longest-serving occupant of the post, completing 2,258 days in office and surpassing L K Advani’s 2,256-day tenure. Before Shah and Advani, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first home minister, served for 1,218 days, sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the NDA parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, acknowledged Shah’s role in shaping the Ministry of Home Affairs’ approach to internal security.
Since assuming office in 2019, Shah has overseen major policy changes, most notably the abrogation of Article 370, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. His tenure has also seen the passage of three new criminal laws—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam—replacing colonial-era legislation. These laws came into force on July 1, 2024. Under his leadership, Parliament enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act, providing a path to Indian citizenship for certain persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Shah has also set a March 31, 2026, deadline to end the Naxal insurgency, with significant territorial gains reported against the rebels.
In the Northeast, 12 peace agreements have been signed with insurgent groups, leading to the surrender of over 10,000 militants. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Hurriyat Conference and its factions were banned, with several leaders facing legal action for alleged terror links.
A nationwide anti-narcotics campaign launched during his tenure resulted in the destruction of more than 10 lakh kg of seized drugs, valued at nearly Rs 11,961 crore. Sixty-year-old Shah, described by BJP leaders as a key strategist, served as the party’s national president before becoming home minister. He began his political journey in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and later the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Born in Mumbai in 1964, he entered national politics after serving as Gujarat’s home minister during Modi’s tenure as chief minister.
