NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, as this was his first such review since the recent assembly elections that brought a National Conference (NC)-led government to power under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
According to the officials at the meeting, attended by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, senior officials from the Army, paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, focused on the security roadmap for 2025.
Addressing the officials, the Home Minister, while emphasising on the implementation of the ‘Area Domination Plan and Zero Terror Plan’ in the mission mode, directed all the security agencies operating in the Union Territory to continue working in a coordinated manner to eliminate terrorism.
In a statement the MHA said, “The home Minister noted that due to the sustained and coordinated efforts of the PM Narendra Modi-led Government, the ecosystem of terrorism in J&K has almost ended.”
Lauding the unprecedented participation of the people of the UT in the recently held assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Shah said these showed that they have full faith in democracy. He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies for a significant decline in terrorist incidents, infiltration and recruitment of youth in terrorist organizations.
Shah asserted that the central government, with the joint efforts of all security forces, “is committed to establish complete dominance over terrorism from J&K”.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of J&K in 2019 into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh, law and order in the UT has remained under the purview of the central government.
Official data, however, indicates a decline in violence, with 142 terrorists killed in 2019 compared to around 45 so far this year. Civilian deaths also dropped significantly, from 50 in 2019 to 14 by early November this year.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day J&K CM Abdullah also met the Union Home Minister and apprised him about the prevailing situation in the state and the experience he gathered in the past three months following assuming power in the Union Territory.
After the meeting, while speaking to reporters outside the North Block Abdullah said, “The meeting with the Home Minister was regarding the situation in J&K and restoration of statehood, as there were talks over the issue and also there is hope that it will be restored.”
He, however, contended that in the present situation, the responsibility of law and order and security in J&K is of the Lieutenant Governor. “I have told the Home Minister that terror and militancy cannot be dealt with only by including the people of J&K by taking into confidence the elected representatives.”