Abid Bashir
New Delhi, Dec 6: Union Minister Amit Shah Wednesday countered the opposition with figures on the claims as to what has changed in J&K post abrogation of article 370 stating that organised hartals, street protests, stone pelting and civilian killings was a history in UT now. He was quick to add that bloodshed is a past in J&K as not a single drop of blood goes waste on Kashmir streets now.
Replying to the discussions on two bills— replying to the discussion on two bills— Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2023 introduced by him in the Parliament on December 5, the Home Minister, said that those crying hoarse that ‘kya badla hai’ (what has changed in J&K) should note down what has changed post roll back of Article 370.
“Organised hartals, street protests, stone pelting, and civilian killings on roads is a history now. From bloodshed earlier, not a single drop of blood goes waste in J&K. No security forces personnel are getting injured or killed in stone pelting or street protests as such things don’t take place in Kashmir at all,” Shah said.
Terming BJP’s tenure as the peaceful period in J&K, the Home Minister while quoting figures said that from 1994 to 2000, 40164 terrorist incidents were reported in J&K. “From 2004 to 2014, 7217 such incidents were recorded while as from 2014 to 2023, only 2197 terrorist related incidents were witnessed,” Shah said, adding that there has been a 70 per cent decline in the terrorist related incidents in J&K during the BJP’s tenure.
“Civilian killings have seen 72 per cent decline and Security Forces’ killings 59 per cent dip,” he said. “Bloodshed for which Kashmir was known is a past. Not a single drop of blood of anybody—(civilians or security forces) goes waste on Kashmir streets now,” the Home Minister said, adding that not a single organised hartal was witnessed in Kashmir in 2023. “Injuries to security forces on streets have come to zero as well,” he said.
Shah 498 Ceasefire Violations were reported in 2010 while 2023 recorded just two violations. “Terrorist recruitment was at an all time low and 221 youth returned back to their families,” he said.
Stating that safety of people of J&K was top priority, BJP took a series of steps that entailed reviewing of J&K situation by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after every three months while there is a security review in J&K every month. “We have started to implement the zero terror plan and I am sure by 2026 the Zero terror plan will be implemented in full,” he said, adding that efforts are on to root out the terror-ecosystem in full. “For that NIA has lodged 32 cases and SIA 52, 83 persons have been booked for terror funding while 57 properties and 134 accounts have been seized,” Shah said.
For those who continue to cry “kya badla hai..”, the Home Minister said that not a single theatre or cinema was functional in Kashmir for the past 30 years. “Today a multiplex is operating in Srinagar and similar cinemas are functional in Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla and Handwara. It isn’t that nobody in Kashmir wanted to see movies in cinemas. After a gap of 30 years, Cinemas are back in the Valley,” he said, adding that 100 films have been shot in Kashmir of late and there is demand for more shootings.
Shah said that J&K is the first UT to have two AIIMS while seven new Medical Colleges were established. “Fifteen nursing colleges were also set up and Medical seats were also enhanced,” he said. He said till June this year, one Crore tourists visited J&K and the figure will cross 2 Crore by December end. “The record of tourist arrivals in J&K set by BJP will be broke by only BJP,” Shah said.
