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Will not let terror stop J&K’s progress: Shah
Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, his first after the Centre revoked the erstwhile state’s special status and split it into two UTs – J&K and Ladakh – on August 5, 2019
Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the Centre aimed to wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and put an end to killings of civilians, and added that nobody will be allowed to disrupt peace and development in the Union territory.
Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, his first after the Centre revoked the erstwhile state’s special status and split it into two UTs – J&K and Ladakh – on August 5, 2019.
He said the “discriminatory” Article 370 was scrapped because of the personal efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil the dream of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Shah added that the development of the region had a place in the Prime Minister’s heart.
Without naming the Abdullahs, Muftis and Gandhis, Shah took a swipe at the “three families” for all the ills plaguing Jammu and Kashmir and said that a new era of development was ushered in with the nullification of articles 370 and 35-A.
Shah sent a clear warning to terrorists and Pakistan proxies by saying that “any attempt to vitiate peace and scuttle development won’t be tolerated”.
Shah expressed regret over the loss of lives due to Pak-sponsored terrorism in the Union territory but added that violence has come down drastically ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power. “But we want to create such an atmosphere where not a single life is lost to terrorism,” he said.
In a reference to the killing of 11 civilians by terrorists in targeted attacks across Jammu and Kashmir this month, he said some people are raising questions about the prevailing security situation in the UT but “I want to answer them with facts and figures”. “Between 2004 and 2014, a total of 2,081 civilians were killed with average deaths of 239 annually. From 2014 till September this year, 239 civilians unfortunately lost their lives which accounted 30 deaths per year. The figures are down but we are not satisfied,” the home minister said.
“Jammu and Kashmir is placed in the heart of the prime minister and under his government, there will be no injustice, discrimination or appeasement,” he said.
Shah later visited the International Border (IB) in Jammu on Sunday evening and lauded the bravery of soldiers guarding India’s frontiers. He interacted with BSF jawans and said they should protect the country without any worry as the government led by PM Modi will take care of their families. The home minister also visited the last border hamlet of Makwal and told residents that the Modi government is committed to providing every facility and ensuring development in the border areas.
On his maiden visit to Jammu following the August 5 move in 2019, Shah started his speech at the JDA ground in Bhagwati Nagar with “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” slogans. “I have come here to meet the people of Jammu. I was tensed if the Jammu rally could be held due to inclement weather but see the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi, the weather has cleared up,” he said.
The time for sidelining the people of Jammu has come to an end and now both Kashmir and Jammu will be developed together, he said.
Shah invoked the late Pandit Prem Nath Dogra (a Dogra leader who was for the full integration of J&K with India) to strike a chord with the crowd. “Today is the birth anniversary of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra. He worked along with Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who had given the slogan of ‘ek nishan, ek vidhan’. Jammu had been discriminated against for years together but not anymore. Now, there shall be equitable development of Jammu and Kashmir because an era of development under the Modi government has started,” Shah said.
“From the land of Mata Vaishno Devi, of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra and the land where Syama Prasad Mookerjee sacrificed his life, I assure you that we will not allow anyone to sabotage the scuttle this journey of development of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Shah also pointed fingers at the Abdullahs, Muftis and the Gandhis by making several references to the “three families”. “These three families were raising questions about what I would give to the people. May I ask them that you ruled for so long and what have you done for 70 years?” he said. “These families owe an explanation to the people of J&K. For 70 years, these three families did nothing for the people except for their personal gains but their dadagiri won’t work anymore.”
Shah said the BJP did better than everyone else. “Article 370 was revoked by PM Modi and justice was done to all, including Valmikis, Paharis, West Pakistan refugees, women, Gujjars and Bakkarrwals. We brought laws, including forest rights law to do justice with all sections of the society,” he said.
Saying that the BJP government headed by PM Modi has accorded top priority to Jammu and Kashmir, he said: “We don’t want any house in J&K to be without LPG, electricity and water. We have given 25,000 jobs to the youth recently and today alone 7,000 jobs have been given to youth from this podium.”
Shah said that the new industrial policy of the BJP government was mocked by the “three families”. “But an investment of ₹12,000 crore was already in and by 2022 another investment of ₹51,000 crore will be in. At least five lakh youth will get jobs out of it,” he added.
The home minister informed the audience that on a single day and from the podium of Bhagwati Nagar ground, he announced developmental works worth over ₹15,000 crore for Jammu.
He also informed that the Modi government has initiated ₹35,000 crore worth of power projects in the UT of which some will be commissioned soon.
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah expressed surprise over Shah’s statement that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood will be restored after assembly elections. He said “urges and aspirations of people have to be satiated for lasting peace” in the UT. Abdullah expressed surprise over the logic being advanced by the central leadership that the statehood will be restored after completion of the delimitation of constituencies and holding of elections.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti alleged that “repression” is the only method of the Centre to deal with the Jammu and Kashmir situation.
“Even after turning Kashmir into an open-air prison, Bipin Rawat’s statement comes as no surprise because repression is GOIs only method to deal with the situation in J&K. It also contradicts their official narrative that all is well here,” Mufti said in a tweet reacting to Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat’s statement over warning of further curbs in Kashmir.
With inputs from PTI
