Patna, Oct 18: Asserting that no local youth has joined any terrorist outfit during the past nine months in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday promised restoration of statehood to the region at “an appropriate time.”
Addressing a media conclave in Patna, Shah said, “After the abrogation of Article 370, terror-infested Jammu and Kashmir has taken a U-turn, local recruitment in terror outfits has fallen to zero as no local youth has been recruited in the past nine months.”
He said that there is a qualitative change in Jammu and Kashmir, where separatism had been festering since the 1990s. “Earlier, Pakistan felt no need to send terrorists from across the border. They used to place arms in the hands of our children. Now the situation has changed. The people of Jammu and Kashmir feel they belong to the entire country and the entire country belongs to them,” Shah said.
The Union Home Minister said, “Today, democracy has been restored in Jammu and Kashmir. Panchayat and municipal polls have taken place, and so have elections for the legislative assembly. Rajya Sabha elections will also take place after some time.”
Asked about a statement by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who spoke of a “gulf” remaining in between Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi on account of statehood not being restored even after a year of his swearing in. Shah replied, “He (Abdullah) may be saying this out of political compulsions. But statehood would be restored at an appropriate time. And it will be done following discussions with him.” (KNO)
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