A new NSG hub is being established in Ayodhya to strengthen counter-terror response in the region, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Tuesday.The move is part of the Centre’s plan to overhaul the operational framework of the National Security Guard (NSG) with expanded regional readiness, Shah said while addressing the 41st Raising Day event of the anti-terror commando force at its headquarters in Manesar.Shah said the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, through actions like the abrogation of Article 370, surgical strikes, air strikes, and Operation Sindoor, has dealt severe blow to the core of terrorist networks. “Our security agencies have proven that they will track down and punish terrorists even from the depths (of other country). Now, terrorists cannot hide anywhere in the world. Operation Sindoor destroyed the headquarters of Pakistani terror groups planning attacks on India, along with their training camps and launch pads. Operation Mahadev eliminated the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, thereby boosting the nation’s confidence in our security forces,” he said.Shah said the Modi government is set to bring about a major change in the functioning of the NSG in the coming days. “Six NSG hubs have already been established in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Jammu, where NSG commandos are stationed round-the-clock for all 365 days of the year. A new NSG hub is now being established in Ayodhya,” he added.Shah said the commandos at the Ayodhya hub will always be ready and available to provide a strong response to any sudden terrorist attack in the zone. “The NSG headquarters will continuously focus on training NSG personnel and anti-terrorism units of state police forces across the country, sharing best practices, and ensuring the fitness of the forces,” he added.Shah said that every citizen of the country feels reassured that our security and the fight against terrorism are in very safe hands. “The resolute, courageous, and strategic manner in which NSG personnel have fought against terrorism, delivering results, is etched in golden letters in India’s security history,” he added.Shah said that the foundation stone for the Special Operations Training Centre (SOTC) was laid on Tuesday. “This centre, being built on eight acres of land at a cost of Rs 141 crore, will provide state-of-the-art training to special commandos combating terrorism. At the SOTC, not only NSG personnel, but also anti-terror units established within police forces across the country will be trained with cutting-edge technology to prepare them for the fight against terrorism,” he said.Story continues below this ad“In a vast country like India, the central government alone cannot tackle terrorism; rather, all state governments, special units of state police forces, NSG, and all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) must work together to ensure the country’s safety. This SOTC will, in the coming days, sharpen the nation’s fight against terrorism and keep our forces ever-ready,” he added.“Since 1984, the NSG has embodied the three principles of Sarvatra (omnipresent), Sarvottam (the best) and Suraksha (safety), safeguarding the nation with bravery and capability through operations like Operation Ashwamedh, Operation Vajra Shakti, and Operation Dhangu, as well as during the Akshardham Temple attack (2002) and the Mumbai terrorist attacks (2008),” he said.Shah highlighted that the Modi government amended the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, activated the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to choke the funding of terror groups, and established a system for scientific investigation of terror funding.“The government banned the Popular Front of India (PFI), strengthened the Multi Agency Center (MAC), initiated data sharing with investigative agencies across the country through Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) and National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), and, for the first time, defined terrorism in three new criminal laws to address loopholes,” he added.Story continues below this ad“Over the past four decades, NSG personnel have conducted reconnaissance of over 770 critical locations across the country and created a data bank with strategic plans to counter potential terrorist attacks,” Shah said.