Monitor News Desk
Srinagar: The stage is all set for Union Home Minister’s rally in Baramulla today.
Shah landed in Srinagar on Tuesday evening after addressing a rally in Rajouri. He later launched 263 development projects worth Rs.1960 Crore in Jammu before flying to Srinagar.
Senior civil and police officers, besides BJP leaders, received Amit Shah at the Srinagar International airport.
Later, 19 delegations met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Raj Bhawan
Those who met include All Jammu and Kashmir Transport Association Chairman, Ajit Singh, Bilal Parray, a politician affiliated with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Civil Society member Farooq Renzu Shah, who is also a retired IAS officer, Mehraj ud Din Rather, a political social activist from Sumbal Sonawari, Abrar Ahmad President of Batamaloo Trade Union, Javid Beigh, Politician (Budgam), Mubashir Ahmad, President Kashmir Pashmina Organization, Javed Burza (Hotelier), Sanjay Saraf LJP leader, Manzoor Pakhtoon, from TAFI, Sameer Ahmad Baktoo President of Eco-Tourism, Rouf Tramboo President of Adventure Tourism, Nasir Shah Chairman Tourism Alliance, Sheikh Ashiq president KCCI, Mirwaiz Central Kashmir Abdul Latief, President Fruit Growers Bashir Ahmad, Shahid Kamili President of Chamber of Industries, Singer Gulzar Ganie and a delegation of Apni party headed by Altaf Bukhari met the visiting Union Home Minister at Raj Bhavan.
On Tuesday, Shah said the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for terrorism. “42,000 people lost their lives to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The situation was so bad that even newspapers did not carry news about the killing of 2-5 persons as it had become a routine affair. However, after the PM Narendra Modi government took over the security situation improved now to such an extent that no one dares to call hartal or indulge in stone-pelting,” he said
“Those who used to call ‘hartal’ or pelt stones on behest of some other country (Pakistan),” he said. “Do you know why there is not a single stone-pelting incident in Kashmir now? Because stone-pelters were sitting in the government at that time. Not only terrorist sympathizers in the society but the government has identified their supporters sitting in the government offices and action has been taken against them.”
He also said there has not been a single encounter now as ‘terrorists’ were allowed to surrender.
“We gave an opportunity to surrender to terrorists in every encounter. Those who put down guns are facing litigation at courts but those who replied with bullets got retaliation from police,” he said.
Shah said terror incidents have come down by 56 percent, casualties among security forces by 84 percent. “Recruitment as terror cadres has also come down,” he said, adding that “I am glad to share that our police or security forces have full control of the security situation and nobody dares to challenge them.”
Enlisting the developmental works done in the last few years, Shah said Modi has focused attention on this region. Jammu as well as Kashmir got AIIMS, NIT, and IIT, students of Jammu and Kashmir have ample higher education intuitions, which was not possible earlier.
“PM Modi gave computers to the youth who earlier held stones (for stone-pelting) in their hands.
He added that a record-breaking 50 lakh tourists have visited Jammu and 22 lakh tourists have visited Kashmir in recent months. “Tourism will hugely benefit the youth of Jammu & Kashmir,” he said.
Coming down heavily on the Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said earlier that just three political families used to rule the erstwhile state, but now the power is with the people.
“J&K’s three political families are responsible for its backwardness. J&K lagged behind on all development parameters due to their alleged misrule,” Shah said, adding, “But the situation changed after 2014 as the Modi government gave priority to Jammu and Kashmir’s development, and it is progressing well now,” he said.
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