Satisfactory security situation in Kashmir to hold polls: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah (File Picture)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 14 said that the security situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is satisfactory enough for Assembly elections to be held. However, the decision has to be taken by the Election Commission, he said.

Speaking at News18’s ‘Gujarat Adhiveshan’ event, Amit Shah said, “I am hopeful elections will be conducted soon, but the decision has to be taken by the Election Commission. Delimitation has been completed, and now the poll body is correcting the voter list.”

So far as the security situation is concerned, it is satisfactory, he added.

The Delimitation Commission was set up in 2020 to redraw the electoral constituencies of J&K and the four north eastern states of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

In December 2021, the Delimitation Panel, in its draft recommendation, proposed six additional seats for the Jammu region and one for Kashmir Valley. J&K is without an elected government since June 2018, when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) broke its alliance with Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) forcing Mehbooba Mufti to resign as chief minister.

The state was headed by then Governor Satya Pal Malik, who dissolved the J&K Legislative Assembly on November 28, 2018, soon after Mehbooba Mufti staked claim to form the government with the support of Congress and National Conference (NC).

However, on December 19, 2018, then President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, issued a notification announcing President's Rule in J&K under Article 356 of the Constitution of India. Eight months later, on August 5, 2019, the BJP-led government at the Centre repealed Article 370, providing special status to J&K, and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union Territories.

Governance

Amit Shah said that there were three major problems in the Valley and democracy was ineffective. Across the nation, there is three-tier governance which includes elections for Panchayati Raj, Legislative Assembly and Parliament.

“In Jammu and Kashmir, panchs and sarpanchs were not being elected. Democracy was confined to only three parties ― Congress, National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party. 87 MLAs and six MPs was the size of democracy. Because of the Narendra Modi government, 30,000 panchs and sarpanchs got elected, who are working for the welfare of the people. The Narendra Modi government brought democracy to the grassroots level,” Shah added.

Terrorism

All the agencies and governments have fought against terrorism in J&K, but action was not being taken against those who propagated terrorism, said Shah, adding, “We gave a tough reply to Hurriyat, banned Jamat-e-Islami and destroyed the ecosystem of terrorism.”

After the period of the 90s, now the number of terror-related incidents has gone down. Earlier, only central agencies would fight against the terrorism. Now J&K Police is also fighting against terrorism and it’s a big achievement, added Shah.

Development

Shah said there was an investment of only Rs 12,000 crore in J&K in the last 70 years, while this amount has risen to Rs 56,000 crore in the last four years. He said central education institutes, such as AIIMS, IIT and IIM, have opened their branches / campuses in J&K.

“This year alone, 80 lakh tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir. It’s the highest number in its history. Amarnath Yatra concluded peacefully. In fact, we gave reservation to people from backward categories and Dalits,” said Shah.

He further added, “For me as a worker, it’s an honour to see two constitutions, two national symbols and two Prime Ministers have been repealed. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and it’s one of the big achievements of Modi governance.”