Pune

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath of office in 2014, contrary to the custom of picking the Principal Secretary as the first person in the PM's team, Modi's first order was the appointment of Ajit Doval as India's National Security Adviser.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah revealed this on Saturday while conferring the prestigious 'Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026' upon Ajit Doval in Pune. Shah drew a parallel between the "fearless" nationalist vision of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the modern-day security framework established by NSA Doval.

Addressing the ceremony on the 106th death anniversary of Tilak, Shah stated that Doval's contributions to India's security and foreign policy have earned him a permanent place in the nation's history. "Whenever history is written, if anyone analyses internal security and external security, then clearly, for Ajit Doval ji, a golden page will have to be kept reserved; there is no doubt about this," Shah said.

Union Minister Amit Shah presents Lokmanya Tilak National Award to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Pune. pic.twitter.com/UDhwqZPd7q

— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) August 1, 2026

Shah said PM Modi's trust in Doval for his security acumen dated back to his days as Chief Minister of Gujarat. He said when he was the home minister of Gujarat in the Modi cabinet, Gujarat witnessed 13 serial blasts in a day.

"Modi asked me to invite Ajit Doval to investigate the blasts. He said he (Doval) would only find out the people behind the blasts, but not the entire conspiracy and the network working behind it. He said Doval came to his house the same day and, with his inputs, the Gujarat Police not only cracked that case, but it also cracked 11 other serial bomb blast modules across India.”

Speaking on the occasion, Doval said though India is growing fast, "we are not where we should be; and not everyone is happy with this. There are internal and external challenges, but we must continue our work with single-mindedness." 

#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra | Conferring the ‘Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026’ to NSA Ajit Doval, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "I have known Ajit Doval since I was the Gujarat Home Minister. A series of bomb blasts occurred at the time. I had no prior acquaintance with… pic.twitter.com/1IzOqUXm8U

— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2026

Speaking on the occasion, Shah said. "Tilak Maharaj gave a new direction to the freedom struggle, a new meaning; he made a great proclamation: 'Swaraj is my birthright.' No one can give Swaraj to the people of this country; this right belongs to the people of this country, and we shall achieve it. In the hearts of crores of people, he ignited the mantra of Swaraj. A man of the era, a great teacher, a fearless journalist, a thinker, a Karma Yogi, the connection of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak with the entire freedom struggle is unmatched by anyone else; he was at the very top," Shah noted.

Shah matched Tilak's historical "fearlessness" with Doval's operational excellence.

"Tilak Maharaj was a teacher, a strong advocate of national education, and a fiery journalist. How fearless a journalist can be can only be experienced by reading the articles of Kesari. As a great thinker, Tilak Maharaj worked to express the soul of India before the world," he said.

NSA Ajit Doval -

“We are very fortunate to have leaders like PM Modi and Amit Shah.

We are facing many internal and external challenges.

Many people are worried due our rise and growth.

Just think about country's interest.” pic.twitter.com/YzU6jbyRUj

— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) August 1, 2026

He added that Tilak initiated the Ganapati and Shivaji festivals to birth "cultural nationalism," a path he claimed the country continues to walk on today.

Drawing a direct link to the NSA, Shah recalled his time as the Home Minister of Gujarat and how Doval's expertise proved pivotal.

Shah emphasised that the "lack of backbone" in India's previous foreign policy has been replaced by a "backbone of steel" under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and the execution of NSA Doval.

Today, India's foreign policy has become a foreign policy with a backbone of steel; no one can deny this. We have, along with self-respect, strengthened our position in the world."

Shah said that awards like the Lokmanya Tilak National Award serve as a source of inspiration rather than a mere "show-off."

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"When such individuals are honoured, the feeling of gratitude of society towards them is discharged in a way, because those who dedicated their entire lives to society - honouring them is the responsibility of society. But along with this, living a life like such personalities also inspires many people, turning this tradition into a continuous stream. Today, the Tilak Award that has been conferred upon Ajit Doval ji, for those who live for this country, who work for this country - citizens of every field- it will become a place of great inspiration," the Home Minister asserted.