NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. This was his first such review since the recent assembly elections that brought a National Conference-led government to power under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
According to officials, the meeting, which was 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.
They said Shah emphasised on the implementation of ‘Area Domination Plan’ and ‘Zero Terror Plan’ in mission mode. He directed all the security agencies operating in the Union Territory to continue working in a coordinated manner to eliminate terrorism.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement, “The home minister noted that due to the sustained and coordinated efforts of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, the ecosystem of terrorism in J&K has almost ended.”
Lauding the unprecedented participation of people of the Union Territory in the recently held assembly and Lok Sabha elections, Shah said these showed that they have full faith in the democracy. He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies for a major decline in terrorist incidents, infiltration and recruitment of youth in terror organisations.
Shah asserted that the Centre, with the joint efforts of all security forces, “is committed to establish complete dominance over terrorism in 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 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 month 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.”