Srinagar, Oct 20: With the abrogation of article 370, Jammu and Kashmir is treading on the path of peace and development and anyone who tries to create hurdles in the way will be dealt with sternly, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said here on Sunday.

“Till now everything used to be done for a few families or a few leaders in Kashmir, but now whatever is happening, is happening for lakhs of families of this state… for the common Kashmiri,” Madhav said.

“There will now be only two paths for J&K– peace and development and whosoever comes in between will be dealt with sternly. There are many jails in India for those,” he added.

 

The BJP leader was addressing a convention of the party”s youth wing at Tagore Hall here which was the first political event in Kashmir after the abrogation of article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two Union territories.

Asking politicians not to treat the people of Jammu and Kashmir as fodder for their politics, Madhav who visited the valley for the first time since the abrogation of article 370 said if 200-300 people are to be kept inside jails to achieve the path to peace and development, “then we will keep them”.

“You can do your politics without disturbing the peace. Some leaders are sending messages while sitting inside jails that people will take to gun and sacrifice themselves. I want to tell those leaders to come forward first and sacrifice themselves,” he said.

“Politicians here were making common people a fodder for their politics and the general public was being used. But, we will not allow such politics now. We want politics of development and corruptions will be eradicated fully from here,” he added.

Wanting to assure the people of Kashmir on the apprehensions about losing jobs or land, the BJP national general secretary said no step would be taken against the interests of the people.

“Some people are talking nonsense about job losses and losing land with the abrogation of article 370. No step will be taken against your interests. Each job in the state will be provided to the youth of the state.”

“I will not hesitate by telling you that the Centre is ready and new jobs and opportunities will be created here. All precautions will be taken so that the there is no harm on the identity, culture, jobs and education of J&K,” he said.

The abrogation of article 370 is a new opportunity and a new dawn for Jammu and Kashmir, Madhav said as he asked the people not be afraid of anyone and go about their business.

“Your hands and feet were fettered for the last 70 years and now we have freed you…. Do not be afraid of anyone and go on with your business,” he said.

“What are you afraid of when everyone is afraid of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. They are paper tigers and I know how much courage they have. They shiver when they get a phone call,” Added Madhav without naming anyone.

Taking a dig at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the BJP leader said he does not know how to handle his country but talks of Kashmir every now and then.

“Imran Khan rakes up Kashmir once or twice a day. He does not know how to handle his country and was merely saved from FATF sanctions. Our security forces are alert and prepared to handle whatever attempts he makes whether cross-border firing or militancy,” he said.

The BJP national general secretary said the people of the country were ready to embrace Kashmiris and they should maintain peace.

“Wherever I go, I say that whatever had to be done for Kashmir has been done by Modi and now the people of whole India have to embrace Kashmiris. When we in BJP used to say that Kashmir is ours, it did not mean that the land of Kashmir is ours but that every Kashmiri is ours. The whole India is ready to assure you of that.”

“When there is peace, tourism will increase here. I say this to people everywhere that if you have to go on a holiday, then visit Kashmir. The whole country is ready to embrace Kashmir and the people of J-K only need to decide to welcome them and maintain peace here,” he said.

0New Delhi: Over 380 police personnel belonging to Ladakh and working in different places in Kashmir and Jammu regions will soon be transferred to their native state and posted under the administrative control of the new Union Territory, officials said Sunday. The new Union Territory of Ladakh will come into existence, October 31.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given nod for the transfer of police personnel working in different wings of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

“Approval has been given for the transfers of about 385 Ladakhi-origin police personnel to Ladakh and they will function under the new UT which will come into existence October 31,” a ministry official said.

 

The police personnel will work with the Ladakh UT Police, which will be under the direct control of the MHA.

The police personnel – from the rank of constable to inspector – will also get the pay and perks available to police personnel of other UTs like Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Police and law and order in the UT of Ladakh will be under the direct control of the Lieutenant Governor, through whom the Central Government will administer the high altitude region.

According to ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019’, will not have a Legislative Assembly.

The Act says cadres of IAS and IPS for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, on and from the appointed day (October 31), shall continue to function on existing cadres.

However, in future, the all India service officers to be posted to UTs of Jammu and Kashmir or Ladakh shall be from the Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram, Union Territory cadre, more popularly known as UT cadre.

SRINAGAR: Three militants were killed on Wednesday in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said.

The encounter broke out at Pazalpora area in Anantnag on a specific intelligence provided by the district police.