Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday said that 45,000 people lost their lives in J&K due to Terrorism and Separatism. He said this in Udhampur district of J&K, after holding a public rally there.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur after participating in a public rally in Udhampur, said, “One of our vital representative from here has played a very vital role. The local people here elected Dr Jitendra Singh by record number of votes and PM Modi has given him so much respect and a high rank in his cabinet. The schemes that the BJP govt has given to J&K we can see today how the region is treading on the path of development.
Reacting to Home minister’s remark on revoking Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Jammu and Kashmir, Thakur added, “There was a time when more than 45,000 people lost their lives due to terrorism, separatism in J&K and also because of Article-370, 35-A. After Independence, the Congress party turned J&K into a stronghold of terrorism, land of stone pelters which was known as paradise on earth. Somehow they suspended the development of the region and there was an increase in killings everyday”.
He further said that post-2014 J&K witnessed a change and Article-370 was removed from the constitution permanently.”J&K permanently saw the arrival of progress, prosperity and peace”.
“The record of tourist footfall has crossed 2 crore here which is a record in itself and the investments projects coming here are also recording breaking. The coming of tourists are opening new avenues of employment”, he claimed.
Talking further about the Home minister’s remark on repealing AFSPA in J&K, he said, “AFSPA was enacted in J&K when terror incidents were very high and to also safeguard security forces, so they can fight terrorists instead of battling cases in courts. There will be no need of AFSPA if terrorism vanishes and it can be revoked. Amit Shah rightly said that under the leadership of PM Modi prosperity came in J&K, people feel secure here. We can move ahead in the future, the law and order situation can be given to the Jammu and Kashmir Police to handle alone and AFSPA can be removed, we can move forward in this direction.
Taking a dig at Congress party, he added, “Congress is anti-women party as it ruled for 60 years but did nothing for their welfare. But when PM Modi become the state head he made 4 crore concrete houses, 12 crore toilets for women, provided clean tap water to 13 crore women and gave health insurance to 60 crore Indians and provided free ration to 80 crore people and 10 crore women received LPG gas. He also gave 33% reservation to women in parliament. Congress want to fight against women and their party spokespersons also say such things”. The comments Rahul Gandhi made against Kangana Ranaut is very unfortunate and he should apologise for it”.
Answering a media query regarding elections in J&K in september, he said, “Surely, the Election Commission has said that the elections will be held in september and we will conducted elections after taking cognisance of the situation here”. He added,” The people of J&K especially Kashmir has seen what progress is. We used to say that we will make prosperous, happy Kashmir and this can be seen today cause stone pelting has become very less, children are going to school, universities, job opportunities are rising, sports, cinema and other fields are being encouraged. This is the sign that J&K is changing and when people are seeing changes they feel what Congress has snatched from them and what BJP has given them in 10 years”.
“The three families who exploited locals for their interests who used to encroach state land and were involved in corruption and those who ransacked crores from banks will be pained to see people leaving separatism, terrorism and participating in democracy and advocating patriotism. There is difference between Dr Jitendra Singh and Chaudhary Lal Singh. Dr Jitendra has lead an honest life and he has won two times from here. He has been given a special place in PM Modi’s cabinet and when PM Modi will be elected to power he will also come”, Thakur told reporters.
