Ever since the BJP took charge, Mumbai’s security has felt tighter. Their “Nation First” and “Zero Tolerance Against Terrorism” stance isn’t just a slogan; it’s changed things on the ground.
Go back to the years before 2014, and the mood in Mumbai was heavy. The city kept getting hit, serial train blasts, the Zaveri Bazaar bombing, and of course, the nightmare of 26/11.
2014 Turning Point: National Security Becomes Top Priority
Extremists saw Mumbai as an easy target. For most people, every morning started with uncertainty, not knowing if they’d make it home at night.
The BJP didn’t hold back in blaming earlier governments for what they called “soft” policies that only made life easier for terrorists. Blasts were common, intelligence agencies barely talked to each other, and city security basically crumbled. Things only started to turn around after 2014.
Coastal Surveillance, CCTV Expansion, and Intelligence Coordination
Once the BJP was in power, national security jumped to the top of the agenda. They ramped up coastal surveillance, added more CCTV cameras all over the city, and pushed through a bunch of security projects that had been stuck for ages. And it wasn’t just about outside threats.
The BJP pointed to illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants, saying their numbers were messing with the city’s balance and fueling crime.
The government began strict drives to find and deport illegal residents. They also cracked down on anti-national activities hiding behind illegal encroachments, showing they were serious about law and order.
One episode that stands out: the demolition of illegal structures around Afzal Khan’s tomb near Pratapgad Fort. This wasn’t just about religion; it was about enforcing the law.
For years, the Hazrat Mohammad Afzal Khan Memorial Society kept expanding illegally on forest land, even though the Bombay High Court ordered its removal back in 2004.
Previous governments kept dodging the issue, scared of losing votes. But in November 2022, after the new coalition took over, things changed. Under heavy security and a Section 144 order, the illegal rooms and extensions disappeared before sunrise.
The BJP called it proof that nobody’s above the law. Plenty of people cheered the move, and it sent a clear warning to extremist groups.
Zero Tolerance During Riots: Action Against Illegal Properties
A word to rioters. In more recent times, during the communal violence in Mira-Bhayandar or the problem of an illegal dargah in the coastal area of Mahim, the BJP-led government was quick and hard on action.
Action After riots The authorities destroyed the illicit properties of persons accused of riots during the opening of the Ram Temple celebrations, February 2021.
The action was a strong signal – “You will not be able to retain your homes especially when you commit crimes. Mahim Dargah Demolition In the same fashion, an illegal shrine had to be developed in the Mahim sea where the government hurriedly removed it as a reminder of its position against encroachments and illegal religious buildings.
Maha Vikas Aghadi Criticism: Vote Bank or Security politics? In the process, the BJP has specifically attacked the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition – comprising of Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
BJP claims that these parties defend radical elements in order to maintain their vote banks. As BJP leaders claim, when the law enforcers undertake the arrest of illegal migrants or anti-national operations, MVA leaders bring up the human rights issues to protect the culprits.
Safe and Stable Mumbai
Today, the Mumbai festivals are celebrated without any violence and when terror warnings are received, the agencies are quickly on the scene. Transverse border terrorism funded by Pakistan is being kept at the frontiers, under a new India and a resolute BJP, and this has resulted in the direct enhancement of the security in Mumbai.
The BJP philosophy is unchanged: A criminal is a non-religious person, but crime protection amounts to treason. As a result of this hard-line position, the average Mumbaikar is now able to go home late in the night without fear.
Security in Mumbai is not merely an election issue, but rather, it is the identity of the city and its existence. The experience of the BJP rule has revealed that effective governance and a firm political will are the key to suppressing extremism and crime.
With Mumbai going ahead, citizens have to choose whom they can trust with the safety of their city. To date, the BJP zero tolerance policy has provided Mumbai with a new security blanket that cannot be disputed.
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