SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the central government will consider revoking Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Jammu and Kashmir.

In an interview with the JK Media Group, Shah also said the government has plans to pull back troops in the Union Territory (UT) and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone.

"We have plans to pull back troops and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir police was not trusted but today they are leading the operations," he said.

On the controversial AFSPA, the home minister said, "We will also think of revoking AFSPA."

The AFSPA gives the armed forces personnel, operating in the disturbed areas, sweeping powers to search, arrest and to open fire if they deem it necessary for "the maintenance of public order".

An area or district is notified as disturbed under the AFSPA to facilitate the operations of the armed forces.

Shah had earlier said the AFSPA has been removed in 70 per cent areas in the northeastern states even though it is in force in J-K.

There have been demands from various organisations and individuals in J-K and the northeastern states to revoke the AFSPA.

Shah said the assembly elections will be held in J-K before September.

"Enshrining democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise and it will be fulfilled. However, this democracy will not be confined to three families alone and will be a people's democracy," he said.

The Supreme Court had directed to conduct the assembly polls in the UT before September.

On the issues that have emerged around the reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs, Shah said for the first time, the OBCs of J-K have been given reservation by the Modi government and women have been given one-third reservation.

"OBC reservations have been made in the panchayat and the urban local bodies. We have made space for the SCs and the STs. Without reducing the share of the Gujjar and Bakarwals, the Pahadis have been given 10 per cent reservation. And special provisions have been made to accommodate the displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," he said.

The Centre is determined to ensure that these benefits percolate to the grassroots level, he said.

Shah claimed that National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tried their best to create acrimony on these reservations but the people have understood their intentions now.

He asked why the NC did not give reservation to these people in the last over 75 years.

The home minister claimed Abdullah had left for England when terrorism was at its peak. Both Abdullah and Mehbooba have no right to speak about on the issue, he added.

"The number of fake encounters that took place during their time has never been matched by any other regime," he said.

Shah said in the last five years, not a single fake encounter has taken place. Rather the FIRs have been lodged against the people involved in fake encounters, he added.

"We will have a dialogue with the youths of Kashmir and not with the organisations that have roots in Pakistan. They are responsible for the deaths of 40,000 youths," he said.

He said the Modi government has banned 12 organisations for their involvement in terror activities, designated 36 individuals as terrorists, registered more than 22 cases to stop terror finance and seized properties worth Rs 150 crore.

As many as 90 properties were also attached and 134 bank accounts have been frozen, he said.

"We have enshrined peace, and peace cannot be bought. Whoever wants to have a dialogue has to do so within the ambit of the Constitution," he said.

Shah said the Hurriyat Conference has no place in the process of dialogue. He also made it clear that the BJP and the entire Parliament believe that the POK is an integral part of India.

"The Muslim brothers are also Indians and the Hindu brothers living in POK are also Indians and the land which has been illegally occupied by Pakistan also belongs to India. It is the goal of every Indian, every Kashmiri to get it back," he said.

The home minister said in 2010, there were 2564 incidents of stone-pelting which now is zero.

From 2004 to 2014, there were 7217 terror incidents. That has reduced to 2227 from 2014 to 2023, and this is almost a 70 per cent reduction, he said.

Shah said the total number of deaths from 2004 to 2014 was 2829 and it has come down to 915 during 2014-23, which is a 68 per cent decrease.

The deaths of civilians was 1770 and has decreased to 341, which is an 81 per cent drop. The deaths of security forces decreased from 1060 to 574, which is a 46 per cent decrease, he said.

The senior BJP leader said without the support of the people, such a comprehensive change can never take place.

"The people who talk about Islam should know that 85 per cent of the deceased were our Muslim brothers and sisters," he said.

Shah also asked the youths of J-K to stay away from the conspiracies of Pakistan.

"Today Pakistan is shrouded by the scourge of hunger and poverty and even people there see Kashmir as heaven. I want to tell everyone that if anyone can save Kashmir, he is Prime Minister Modi," he said.

The home minister said the Modi government is boosting the morale of the security forces by giving jobs to the family members of the martyrs.

"Today, not a single martyr's family is left without a job," he said. (PTI)

SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will happen before September this year.

Shah made the remarks during the Rising India Summit 2024 hosted by CNN-News18 in New Delhi. The people of Kashmir should be brave. They should “punish” those who kept them deprived of democracy and constitutional rights for 75 years. “You can vote for whichever party you want, but these three parties (Congress, NC, PDP) should be taught a lesson,” Shah said.

He said that elections in the Union Territory will take place before the September deadline set by the Supreme Court. With five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir going to polls from next month, Shah said, “I want to say to all the Muslim brothers and sisters of the Valley that if you want democracy to reach to the grassroots of Kashmir, then you must wipe out these three political parties.”

On the grass-root development in Kashmir, Shah said, “Since Independence, the region has not witnessed the Panchayat election. For the first time, we appointed 30,000 Sarpanches and Panches. We formed Tehsils and Zila Parishads in Kashmir.”

When asked about reforms in the region after the removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said, “Today, every Kashmiri gets an annual health insurance of Rs 5 lakh, water supply and rice, tourism is flourishing, theatres have opened after 30 years, this is all because of democracy.”

About the dates for the assembly elections in Kashmir, Shah said as per the Supreme Court order, the electoral exercise should be conducted by September.

The Supreme Court, while upholding the constitutional validity to abrogate Article 370 in December last year directed the Centre to facilitate the conduct of assembly polls before September this year.

The Election Commission of India last week announced the schedule for Lok Sabha polls along with assembly polls due in 4 states, however, said assembly polls in J&K will not be held simultaneously along with the general elections, stating that additional security measures are required to conduct polls in the Union Territory.

Replying to the discussion on the Bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 & The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2023 will provide justice to those who were betrayed, insulted and ignored for 70 long years.

"The Bill that I have brought here pertains to bringing justice and providing rights to those against whom injustice was done, who were insulted and those who were ignored", he said.

Talking about the merit on the Bill, two seats will be reserved for Kashmiri migrant community members, and one seat for people displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. For the first time, 9 seats will be reserved for SC/ST communities.

Shah added that earlier there were 37 seats in Jammu, now there are 43 and there were 46 in Kashmir, now there are 47 and in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK), 24 seats have been reserved since PoK is ours.

The Home Minister said "Pakistan attacked Kashmir in 1947 in which around 31,789 families were displaced...10,065 families were displaced during the wars of 1965 and 1971.

"A total of 41,844 families were displaced during these three wars of 1947, 1965 and 1969. This bill is an attempt to give rights and representation to those people" he added.

Shah said that the Bill also provides rights and representation to Kashmiri Pandits who were displayed within their own country.

He said according to today's figures, 46,631 families and 1,57,967 people were displaced within their own country and this bill is to give them rights and representation" he said.

On the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Amit Shah said, " Under the Narendra Modi government, the total incidents of terrorism registered have been around 2,000, it marks a 70% reduction in the incidents of terrorism".

"During the 1994-2004 period, a total of 40,164 incidents of terrorism were registered" he said in the house.

He also informed that during the 2004-2014 period, a total of 7,217 incidents of terrorism took place.

The Home Minister said the since the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir saw an unprecedented transformation under the Modi-led government.

Shah added that the root cause of separatism, the root cause of terrorism was nothing but Article 370".

He said that , "Those who say what happened after the removal of Article 370?... On August 5-6, 2019, their voices, which were not heard for years, were heard by PM Modi and today they are getting their rights".

Slamming Congress and first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, the Minister said Jammu and Kashmir suffered due to 2 blunders committed by the former, first announcing a ceasefire and then taking the Kashmir issue to the United Nations.

He added that had Jawaharlal Nehru taken the right steps, PoK would have been part of India now; it was a historic blunder". (UNI)

SRINAGAR: Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday honoured Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar with prestigious 'Excellence in Investigation' award at a ceremony held in New Delhi.

The police officer known for his investigative acumen and calibre received the award at the Anti-terrorism Conference at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. 

Balwal, an IPS of 2012 batch officer of Manipur cadre, has served in different capacities so far and been instrumental in cracking several high-profile cases including the Pulwama militant attack, which left over 40 CRPF personnel slain. 

Notably, the officer has been prematurely repatriated to his home cadre Manipur recently amid the prevailing situation in the state. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, remarked that the martyrdom of numerous Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel in the line of duty is a ‘testament to what Kashmir and its people stand for’.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, the Home Minister wrote; “The martyrdom of numerous Jawans of the @JmuKmrPolice who laid down their lives battling terrorists and securing innocent fellow citizens is a testament to what Kashmir and its people stand for.” 

“Today, met the family members of such martyrs in Srinagar and distributed appointment letters on behalf of the J&K govt to the closest kins of the martyrs”, concludes the tweet.

The Home Minister accompanied by LG Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone of 'Balidaan Stambh’, an initiative under the Srinagar Smart City Project, at Lal-Chowk as a ‘tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation’. 

Immediately after laying the foundation stone, Shah went to Raj Bhavan – the LG's official residence and also to the Karan Mahal – the residence of the last Yuvraj of Jammu and Kashmir, Karan Singh.

Earlier, Shah visited Amarnath base camp at Baltal to take stock of the arrangements for the annual pilgrimage. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 84 development projects of about Rs.586 crore in Srinagar, on FRiday.

In his address, Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,  a new milestone has been achieved in the development journey of Jammu and Kashmir today. He said that the foundation stone and inauguration of various development works of about Rs.586 crore have been done here today which will benefit about 22 lakh people and will make their daily life easier. Shah said that when pure drinking water reaches a house, it not only removes the problem of the woman who has to fetch water from far away, but also bring a qualitative improvement in the health of the whole family. Similarly, 100 schools are being modernized at par with the rest of the country so that the children of the valley are not deprived of modern education. He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to bring watershed changes in Jammu and Kashmir to giveright of a happy life to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Valley.

Amit Shah said that the government led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking care of the health expenses up to Rs. 5 lakh of any citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that this scheme has been implemented only for the poor across the country but for Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi has covered every citizen of UT by linking Pradhan MantriAyushman Bharat Yojana with SEHAT. He added that in the last 5 years, under the leadership of Modi a people-oriented governancehas been putat the grassroots level in Jammu and Kashmir.

Union Home Minister said that during the rule of the previous governments in Jammu and Kashmir, democracy was limited to 80- 85 people only and 3 families had taken control over the democracy. He said that these people did not allow panchayat elections, did not allow panch-sarpanch to be elected and did not allow tehsil and district panchayats to be formed. Shah said that there is democracy in Jammu and Kashmirnow because 35,000 elected representatives are deciding the future of their village, tehsil and district themselves. He said that in the coming days, the MPs, MLAs and new leaders willemerge from these people only. He said that the government led by PM Modi has done the work of percolating democracy and strengthening it by bringing Panchayati Raj to the grassroots level in Jammu and Kashmir. Shah said that it is no longer a Jammu and Kashmir ruled by three families. He said that the introduction of Panchayati Raj in Jammu and Kashmir by Modi has become a forever reality. He said that this change happens when there is attachment towards democracy and with this attachment,Modi has brought changes in Jammu & Kashmir.

Amit Shah said that Incidents of stone pelting, bandh incited by the neighboring country are becoming very rare and militancy incidents have come under control in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that today schools, colleges, industries are running, 1.88 Crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, which is the biggest figure since independence. Shah said that with such a large number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir, in the next 5 years the number of hotel rooms in the region, especially the Valley, would be more than three times the present. He said that this change happens when there is dedication to bring about change. If someone comes to rule and enjoy the power, then he cannot bring about any change. Changes happen if mind is connected with the happiness, sorrow and progress of the people.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that lakhs of citizens have benefited from various smallschemes in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is providing Rs. 6,000 every year in the bank accounts of over 12.45 lakh farmers of Jammu and Kashmir, so that they do not need to take loans. Shah said that under the Pradhan MantriFasalBimaYojana, farmers of Jammu and Kashmir have received Rs. 100 crore in three years. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the work to provide fluoride-free tap water to over 11.96 lakh families has been completed. He said that there were over 13.80 lakh families who did not have toilets in their houses even after 70 years of independence, and the construction of toilets in these houses was completed in just 5 years. He said that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is providing 5 kg rice per person per month free of cost to over 65.91 lakh people of Jammu and Kashmir. The government has also provided houses to about 1.86 lakh people. Under the DBT scheme, Rs. 23,000 crore have been transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries in past four years. He said that earlier, the money used to get sanctioned but it never reached to the targeted beneficiaries. Shah said that the public should ask how these people have built huge houses in foreign countries, where they go to celebrate summer holidays for 45-60 days. He said that Rs 23,000 crore, which has been deposited directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through DBT, was earlier siphoned off due to corruption, but now nobody can touch it.

Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave AIIMS, IIMs, IITs and IIITs to Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the government want to make Dal Lake the most attractive tourist centre of the country, for which a scheme of about Rs. 85 crore has been formulated on preliminary basis. Children from across the country would like to visit Dal Lake and Tattoo Ground in the coming days. He said that it will help in exponentially increasing the tourism in J&K. Shah said that under the Srinagar Smart City Limited, many projects including multi-level parking, smart lighting, integrated command and development of parks have been initiated with an expenditure of Rs. 345 crore. Many new medical colleges, degree colleges and nursing colleges have also been opened. He said that recently the G-20 conference was successfully organised in Srinagar, and the message of peaceful Jammu and Kashmir reached across the globe. He said that tourists from all over the world will visit the region only when the changes taking place in Jammu and Kashmir are communicated properly and for this purpose, G-20 is a huge platform.

Union Home Minister said that under the Panchayati Raj System, the funds are now going directly to the Panchayat, which has given them the right to develop their village. He said that change is coming in Jammu and Kashmir. Appealing to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to join the change, the Union Home Minister said that there is a future in joining with the development of Jammu and Kashmir and the country by taking a laptop, not a weapon in hand.He said that the whole country and the world is looking towards the youth of the region. The youth of Jammu and Kashmir, especially of the Valley, should come forward and lead the process of change and work towards taking Jammu and Kashmir to new goals and height. He told the youth of the valley that those who put stones and weapons in their hands are not their well wishers. He said that the government is trying to improve their future by providing laptops, electricity, building roads, promoting tourism. Shah said that change is the need of the hour and the youth from the valley should join hands with it. He told the youth that the change is waiting for them, the whole country is ready to take them forward, and the market of the whole world is open for the youth of the valley. He said that they should come forward and be apart of the change and take pledge to fulfil the resolution of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build a new Kashmir. He said that those who do not seek change,are against the welfare of the youth. The world has moved ahead and now is the time for Jammu and Kashmir to walk along with the nation and the world.

SRINAGAR: The third and final high profile event of "Vitasta Cultural Festival" is all set to begin tomorrow with all pomp and show at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), located on the picturesque banks of Dal Lake, popularly known as "Srinagar's Jewel'.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah would be inaugurating the carnival.

Apart from esteemed presence of Home Minister, a multitude of distinguished dignitaries from Jammu and Kashmir, as well as other parts of the country, including Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha and Union Minister of State for Culture, Meenakashi Lekhi, will also grace this momentous occasion, scheduled to be held from June 23 to 25.

The grand festival, named after the ancient Vedic name of Jhelum River, aims to bring to life Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's, vision of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' (One India, Great India) under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative. The festival being organised by the Union Ministry of Culture through the North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala, is the last in the series of three programmes of 'Vitasta'. Earlier, this festival was organised in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Pune (Maharashtra).

The dignitaries will also visit the exhibition and art camp organised at the venue.

The entry of the attendees would be strictly on the entry cards being issued by the organisers. All the participants are compulsory required to bring their invitation letters for entry to the event. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah held a review meeting on the security situation of Jammu & Kashmir in New Delhi on Thursday. National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary, Director (IB), RAW Chief and other senior officials of the Government of India, including the Officers from Jammu &Kashmir attended the meeting.

Union Home Minister reviewed the functioning of the security grid and various aspects related to security, according to a statement.

He reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Government of India is committed towards zero tolerance against militancy.

Amit Shah also reviewed the Area Domination Plan, “Zero Terror Plan”, Law and order situation, cases related to UAPA and other security related issues.

“Home Minister appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and administration of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for substantial reduction in cross border infiltration and improvement in law & order and also advised to strengthen the routine policing.” 

Home Minister also reviewed the preparation of G-20 Meeting which is scheduled to be held in Srinagar in May, 2023 and asked all agencies to work in a coordinated manner for successful conduct of the event, the statement added. (GNS)