Assembly Elections In J&K After Delimitation: Amit Shah

Says Statehood After Return of Normalcy

NEW DELHI: The Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after the completion of the ongoing delimitation exercise and the statehood will be restored once the situation in the union territory becomes normal.

Shah made these remarks while virtually releasing the District Good Governance Index (DGGI) for Jammu Kashmir.

“As far as the democratic process is concerned, delimitation has begun and elections will be held immediately and after that, as

TODAY, I ONCE AGAIN WANT to tell my young friends, especially the young friends of the Valley that you should walk on the path of development laid by Shri Modi, no one can stop Jammu & Kashmir from becoming the most developed region of the country.”

soon as the situation becomes normal, Jammu & Kashmir will get full Statehood,” Shah said, according to an official spokesperson.

Urging the people to focus on development, the Home Minister, he said, called upon the youth of

the Valley to participate in the development process, the new political process, in the democratic process and make their future bright.

Taking a veiled dig at Abdullahs and Muftis for claiming that the law and order situation has deteriorated after Article 370 revocation in J&K, the Home Minister said that some political parties are hurt because Panchayati Raj has taken effect away from the clutches of their families.

“Major changes began in 2019 under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi in Kashmir. Only 87 MLAs, six MPs and three families used to share power in Jammu & Kashmir, today more than 30,000 people’s representatives from the village level to the Union Territory levelling are serving the people,” he said.

“I want to tell these people that if we undertake a comparative study of the period from April 2017 to 2019 and 2019 to 2021, then there has been a 40 percent decline in terrorist incidents and 57 percent in deaths,” he added.

Shah, as per the official spokesperson asserted that peace has nothing to do with new reforms but with administration and when people receive good governance, they automatically become participants in the development process.

“In every sector, Jammu & Kashmir has attempted to provide direct benefits to beneficiaries in two years and it is natural that middlemen will be angry, but we are not afraid of their displeasure,” he said.

Lauding the vision of Prime Minister, Shah said that PM Modi has a clear objective that the people of Jammu & Kashmir should have corruption-free governance, and the people don’t have to give anything to anyone for scholarships and benefits from their schemes.

“I want to ask those who raise questions, that for so many years three families ruled Jammu & Kashmir, then why did all these developments not take place, if you could not do all this, then what is the point of misleading the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

According to the official spokesperson, the Home Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir has the potential to attract tourists from all over the world, but some leaders in the Union Territory were making statements indicating they do not want tourism to increase in the erstwhile state.

“I want to say clearly that your statements will not make any difference and Jammu &Kashmir has registered a record number of tourists in winter this year and this growth will continue in the days to come,” he said.

“Employment and tourism are interlinked in Jammu & Kashmir, but there is a conspiracy by the opposition to keep youth away from employment by issuing such statements, so that tourists do not visit, the people of Jammu and Kashmir should also know this fact,” he added.

Taking pot shots at the successive governments who ruled J&K, Shah said that the youth of Union Territory was forced by those previously in power to go to Pakistan and abroad to study medicine.

“I want to tell them that from 1947 to 2014, there were 4 medical colleges and 500 seats in Jammu – Kashmir. Today there are 9 medical colleges, 15 nursing colleges and 1,100 MBBS seats and 600 paramedical service seats,” he said.

Lauding PM Modi for making the best industrial policy ever for J&K, under which investment of about Rs 50,000 crore and 5 lakh jobs will come to the UT, Shah said that on one hand, investment during last 70 years was Rs. 12,000 crore and in a single year MoUs for investment worth Rs. 12,000 crore have been signed and ground breaking ceremonies worth Rs. 2,000 crore have also taken place.

“Today, I once again want to tell my young friends, especially the young friends of the Valley that you should walk on the path of development laid by PM Modi. No one can stop Jammu & Kashmir from becoming the most developed region of the country,” he said.

He also slammed critics for misleading youth and said that in the last three years, the number of completed development works in Jammu & Kashmir have increased from 9,000 to 21,000, showing that the welfare of the people of Jammu & Kashmir is priority of the PM.

“Those who spread lies due to their political interests and saying that the Valley’s land will go, I ask them whose land has been taken away in the Valley. The development of Jammu & Kashmir is being obstructed by misleading statements and lies such as these,” he said.

“Those who used to say that violence will increase, ask them whether violence has increased or decreased, they would say investment will not come, today investment worth Rs.12, 000 crore has come due to new industrial policy in just one year and arrival of tourists has also increased and Jammu & Kashmir has started its journey on the path of development,” he added.

The Home Minister also urged people not to be misled by those with vested political interests, who try to create a different kind of feeling especially in the minds of the people of the Valley.

“Democracy has reached the grassroots level and these people are disturbed due to this, only democracy can bring prosperity and development in Jammu and only democracy can give employment to youth and for democracy to be good, it is most important that peace should exist in Jammu & Kashmir,” he said.

“I want to tell my young friends that the youth of Jammu & Kashmir should not be misled by their provocative statements,” he added.

Urging people to keep faith in Prime Minister and J&K Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, the Home Minister said that the administration was making major efforts to compensate for the gap of 70 years in five years and that gap will be filled. water combined with huge unemployment, social unrest is reflecting the “contrasting picture”.

Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after completion of the ongoing delimitation process and statehood will be restored once the situation in the union territory becomes normal, Shah said on Saturday.

Virtually releasing India’s first “District Good Governance Index”, he said Jammu and Kashmir is a priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and multipronged efforts are being made for the all round development of the union territory. (PTI)