As concerning the controversial AFSPA, the home minister stated, "We will also think of revoking AFSPA."
Digital desk: In an interview with the JK Media Group, on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Jammu and Kashmir may be repealed by the central government.
Shah added that the government intends to remove its troops from the Union Territory (UT) and give the Jammu and Kashmir Police sole authority over maintaining peace and order.
He said, "We have plans to pull back troops and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir police was not trusted but today they are leading the operations."
As concerning the controversial AFSPA, the home minister stated, "We will also think of revoking AFSPA." The AFSPA gives the armed forces personnel, operating in the disturbed areas, sweeping powers to search, arrest and to open fire if they deem it necessary for "the maintenance of public order".
Under the AFSPA, a district or area is designated as disturbed in order to assist military operations. Shah had previously stated that although the AFSPA is still in effect in J&K, it has been eliminated in 70% of the northeastern states. Revocation of the AFSPA has been demanded by a number of organizations and individuals in J&K and the northeastern states.
According to Shah, J&K will hold assembly elections before to September. The commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish democracy in Jammu and Kashmir will be fulfilled. But this democracy will be a people's democracy, not limited to just three families, he declared.
Before September, the Supreme Court had mandated that the UT hold assembly elections. Regarding the concerns raised by the reservation of SCs, STs, and OBCs, Shah stated that the Modi government has, for the first time, granted reservation to OBCs in J&K and one-third of it to women.
Shah said, "OBC reservations have been made in the panchayat and the urban local bodies. We have made space for the SCs and the STs. Without reducing the share of the Gujjar and Bakarwals, the Pahadis have been given 10 per cent reservation. And special provisions have been made to accommodate the displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir."
The Centre is determined to ensure that these benefits percolate to the grassroots level, he said. Shah asserted that although PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah made every effort to create division over these reservations, people clearly understood their goals.
He questioned why, in the previous more than 75 years, the NC had not granted these people a reservation. Shah claimed that Abdullah moved for England during the prime of terrorism. He went on to say that Mehbooba and Abdullah had no right to discuss the matter.
"The number of fake encounters that took place during their time has never been matched by any other regime," he stated.
According to Shah, there hasn't been a single phony interaction in the previous five years. Instead, he said, the people involved in fictitious confrontations have been the target of FIRs.
"Instead of speaking with organizations that are based in Pakistan, we will hold a conversation with the youth of Kashmir. 40,000 young people have died as a result of them," he declared.
According to him, the Modi administration has seized properties valued at Rs.150 crore, blacklisted 12 groups for their involvement in terrorism, classified 36 people as terrorists, and filed more than 22 cases to halt the financing of terrorism.
134 bank accounts have been blocked and up to 90 properties have also been attached said Shah. "We have enshrined peace, and peace cannot be bought. Whoever wants to have a dialogue has to do so within the ambit of the Constitution," he declared.
Shah also said that there is no room for the Hurriyat Conference in the peace process. Furthermore, he stated clearly that the POK is seen as a crucial part of India by the BJP and the entire Parliament.
"The Muslim brothers are also Indians and the Hindu brothers living in POK are also Indians and the land which has been illegally occupied by Pakistan also belongs to India. It is the goal of every Indian, every Kashmiri to get it back," he stated.
According to the home minister, there have been no incidents of stone-pelting since 2010, when there were 2564. There were 7217 terror attacks between 2004 and 2014. From 2014 to 2023, that dropped to 2227, which is about a 70% decrease, he said.
Shah said that there were 2829 deaths overall from 2004 and 2014; however, between 2014 and 2013, there were 915 deaths, a 68% decrease. There have been 341 civilian deaths, a decrease of 81% from 1770 civilian deaths. He added that the number of security force deaths dropped from 1060 to 574, or 46% fewer.
The senior BJP leader said without the support of the people, such a comprehensive change can never take place. "The people who talk about Islam should know that 85 per cent of the deceased were our Muslim brothers and sisters," he stated.
Shah also urged the young people in J&K to avoid being involved in Pakistani schemes. "Today Pakistan is shrouded by the scourge of hunger and poverty and even people there see Kashmir as heaven. I want to tell everyone that if anyone can save Kashmir, he is Prime Minister Modi," he said.
The home minister claimed that by providing jobs to the relatives of the victims, the Modi administration is raising the morale of the security forces. "Today, not a single martyr's family is left without a job," he stated.
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