Reiterating that J&K assembly polls will be held after the delimitation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said law and order situation terrorist violence has dropped by 40 percent post abrogation of Article 370.
Shah said only 87 MLAs, six MPs, and three families used to share power in Jammu Kashmir and today more than 30,000 people’s representatives from the village level are serving the people.
“I want to tell these people that if we undertake a comparative study of the period from April 2017 to 2019 and 2019 to 2021, then there has been a 40 percent decline in terrorist incidents and 57 percent in deaths. Peace has nothing to do with new reforms but with administration. When people receive good governance, they automatically become participants in the development process,” he said
He said delimitation has begun and elections will be held immediately and after that, as soon as the situation becomes normal, Jammu and Kashmir will get full statehood.
“Democracy has reached the grassroots level and these people are disturbed due to this. Only democracy can bring prosperity and development. Only democracy can give employment to youth,” he said.
“I urge you all to focus on development. Youth of the Valley should participate in the development and democratic process to make the future bright,” he said.
Shah said in every sector, Jammu and Kashmir has attempted to provide direct benefits to beneficiaries in two years. “It is natural that middlemen will be angry, but we are not afraid of their displeasure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a clear objective and that is that the people of Jammu and Kashmir should have corruption-free governance, they do not have to give anything to anyone for scholarships and benefits from their schemes,” he said.
“I want to ask those who raise questions, that for so many years three families ruled Jammu & Kashmir, then why did all these developments not take place, if you could not do all this, then what is the point of misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said
Shah said Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to attract tourists from all over the world. “But the kind of statements being made by some leaders of Jammu of Kashmir, they do not want tourism to increase in Jammu and Kashmir. I want to say clearly that your statements will not make any difference and Jammu and Kashmir has registered a record number of tourists in winter this year and this growth will continue in the days to come,” he said.
Home Minister said employment and tourism are interlinked in Jammu and Kashmir, but there is a conspiracy by the opposition to keep youth away. “The youth of Jammu and Kashmir which was forced by those previously in power to go to Pakistan and abroad to study medicine, I want to tell them that from 1947 to 2014, there were 4 medical colleges and 500 seats in Jammu and Kashmir. Today there are 9 medical colleges, 15 nursing colleges 1,100 MBBS seats, and 600 paramedical service seats,” he said.
On one hand, he said, investment during the last 70 years was Rs. 12,000 crore and in a single year MoUs for investment worth Rs. 12,000 crore have been signed and groundbreaking ceremonies worth Rs. 2,000 crore have also taken place
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the best industrial policy ever for Jammu -Kashmir, under which investment of about 50,000 crore rupees is going to come in Jammu -Kashmir, which will provide employment to 5 lakh youth. Today, I once again want to tell my young friends, especially the young friends of the Valley that you should walk on the path of development laud by Modi, no one can stop Jammu &Kashmir from becoming the most developed region of the country,” he said.
Shah said in the last three years, the number of completed development works in Jammu and Kashmir has increased from 9,000 to 21,000. This shows that the welfare of the people of Jammu & Kashmir is a priority of Modi, he said
“Those who spread lies due to their political interests and saying that the Valley’s land will go, I ask them whose land has been taken away in the Valley, the development of Jammu &Kashmir is being obstructed by misleading statements and lies such as these,” he said.
Shah said those who used to say that violence will increase, ask them whether violence has increased or decreased. “They would say the investment will not come, today investment worth Rs.12,000 crore has come due to new industrial policy in just one year and the arrival of tourists has also increased and Jammu and Kashmir has started its journey on the path of development,” he said
“Due to their vested political interests, those who try to create a different kind of feeling especially in the minds of the people of the Valley, I request the people of Kashmir, the people of Jammu & Kashmir not to be misled by them,” he said.
“I want to tell my young friends that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir should not be misled by their provocative statements. Keep faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, trust Jammu and Kashmir administration, under the leadership of Manoj Sinha. The administration is making major efforts to compensate for the gap of 70 years in five years. I am sure that with Manoj Sinha’s efforts and blessings of Modi, we will make up this gap,” he said.