SRINAGAR: Stating that the era of violence, fear and bloodshed has largely come to an end in Jammu and Kashmir, Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma on Wednesday said that region has witnessed a significant improvement in the security situation after its transition into a Union Territory.
Talking to reporters on sideline of function in Srinagar, the LoP said that during the previous regimes, law and order was under the control of the elected government, yet incidents of violence, civilian killings and unrest were frequent.
He said in the past, “blood used to flow on roads and bullets were fired at youth and even school-going children,” while strict laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and other provisions were used against people.
The LoP said after the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and the transfer of law and order responsibilities to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the situation has changed considerably.
“Today the roads of Jammu and Kashmir are not witnessing the kind of violence seen earlier. The youth have come out of the atmosphere of fear and are no longer living under the shadow of bullets, PSA or UAPA,” Sharma said.
Questioning demands for restoration of greater administrative control, Sharma said the youth of Kashmir would have to decide whether they wanted to return to the circumstances that existed in the past.
The LoP further said PM Narendra Modi-led government has been extending financial support to Jammu and Kashmir without any discrimination.
“The Government of India is providing funds with an open heart for development and infrastructure projects across the Union Territory,” he said, adding development activities are progressing steadily under the present dispensation.
Referring to the return of Kashmiri Pandits, Sharma called the community as an inseparable part of Jammu and Kashmir’s identity.
“Kashmiri Pandits are an integral part of Kashmi’’s heritage and identity. Without them, Jammu and Kashmir remains incomplete,” he said.
He said the Centre has created an atmosphere where members of the displaced community are increasingly asserting claims over their properties and lands in the Valley. Sharma said, the Union Government is working towards facilitating their rehabilitation and resettlement.
“The Home Ministry is actively working on measures to ensure that those reclaiming their properties and lands are eventually re-established in Kashmir,” he added.
Sharma further said that the security environment in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a transformation, adding that incidents targeting tourists and security personnel have reduced significantly under the current government.
Earlier in the day, the BJP leader also took a swipe at the National Conference-led government, describing it as politically unstable and predicting that it would “collapse on its own” due to internal contradictions.
Sharma reiterated the BJP’s position that the Centre would take a decision only after being fully satisfied that peace, stability and normalcy have been firmly established in Jammu and Kashmir. (KNO)
