"There is peace, no one has fear": J-K LoP Sunil Sharma lauds Centre's efforts to end terrorism

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 22 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma praised the central government's efforts to end terrorism in the Union territory, saying, "There is peace and no one has any fear."
Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "This is being felt by the people across the country, across Jammu and Kashmir. This is a result of steps taken against terrorism, especially after the abrogation of Article 370, and the structure behind terrorism was hit resulting in terrorists being unable to recruit locally, there are no stone pelters on streets and tourists are moving around freely. There is peace and nobody has any fear. The situation will improve with time."
His remarks came after, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the BJP-led government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism since coming to power in 2014.
Replying to the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Shah said that India's security, development, and sovereignty faced three major challenges over the past four decades -- terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir (J-K), insurgency in the Northeast, and Left-wing Naxalism. He also emphasized that the Modi government has taken decisive steps to eradicate these threats and ensure national security.
"When the Narendra Modi government came to power, many legacy challenges existed. The country's security, development, and sovereignty faced challenges due to three major issues. These challenges hindered the country's development," he said, adding that 92,000 citizens lost their lives due to these security threats.
Shah criticized previous governments for failing to take firm action on terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the Modi government was the first to implement a strategic approach to counter cross-border terrorism.
"First of all, I will speak about Kashmir. Terrorists used to enter Kashmir from the neighbouring country, they used to execute bomb blasts and murders here. There was not one festival which used to be celebrated without any worry. Central Governments had a flexible attitude. They used to be quiet and were scared of speaking. They were worried about their vote bank. But after PM Modi came to power, we displayed a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism," he said.
Highlighting key military actions, he referenced the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, which were India's direct responses to the Uri and Pulwama attacks. "There were attacks even after we came to power -- on Uri and Pulwama. Within 10 days, we responded with surgical and airstrikes. The zero-tolerance policy against terrorism started there," Shah noted.
He further said that India has now joined Israel and the United States as a nation that firmly protects its soldiers and borders. "In the whole world, there were two nations that were always ready for their soldiers and borders: Israel and America. Narendra Modi added India's name to this list," he added.
Shah credited the removal of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, as a historic move that ended separatism in Kashmir. He expressed gratitude to the framers of the Constitution for making Article 370 a temporary provision, which allowed the Modi government to revoke it and integrate J-K fully into India.
"We all know Article 370 was the base for separatism in Kashmir...I also want to thank the framers of the Constitution who made 370 temporary. On 5th August 2019, we removed Article 370," he said.
Shah also said that elections are now conducted peacefully in Kashmir. "Not a single bullet was fired during the 2024 elections, and there were no complaints of booth rigging. Once, leaders from Delhi would go there to receive the winning certificate while citizens stayed home. Now, 98 per cent of people cast their votes. It was Prime Minister Modi who laid the foundation of democracy in Kashmir for the first time," he said. (ANI)