Jammu: Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday said that hartals (strikes), and ‘organised’ stone protests have ended with developmental projects touching new heights in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that stones have been replaced with the laptops in the hands of J&K youth.
Addressing a virtual gathering in Jammu from New Delhi after e-inaugurating the 100 E-buses, he said that J&K is witnessing a new dawn of peace, prosperity and development.
“Today, with the active support of J&K youth. Hartals, organised protests and stone pelting are the things of the past. J&K is witnessing huge infrastructure building, smooth schooling and development,” he said.
“J&K politicians used to say that nothing will change if Article 370 goes but there is a 70 per cent decline in terrorism, 81 per cent dip in civilian killings, and 48 per cent fall in killings of forces in J&K, Shah said.
The Home Minister said that there were zero stone pelting incidents in 2020 in J&K while organised protests have also ended.
“In 2010, 112 people were killed in stone pelting and in 2020, the figure is zero,” he said.
“We have tightened the noose on terror financing and the properties of militants and their supporters are being seized,” he added.
(KNO)