Says no local youth join ranks in last 9 months
Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a significant decline in terrorism, saying that no local youth has joined the terror ranks in the last nine months of the period.
The Union Home Minister was speaking at a media conclave in Patna.
Attributing this turnaround to the abrogation of Article 370, the Union Home Minister stated that the scrapping it has marked a pivotal shift in the region’s trajectory.
“Since the removal of Article 370, there has been a dramatic improvement as the local recruitment into terror outfits has dropped to zero,” Shah said. He added that where separatism once thrived, there is now a growing sense of national belonging among the people.
Highlighting democratic progress, Shah noted the successful conduct of Panchayat, Municipal and Legislative Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He also confirmed that Rajya Sabha elections would be held in due course.
Addressing concerns raised by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about the continued delay in restoring statehood, Shah assured that statehood will be reinstated “at an appropriate time” and through dialogue, including with leaders like Abdullah. He suggested that Abdullah’s remarks may stem from political motives.
