Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asserted that the Modi government has zero tolerance for terrorism and is committed towards development of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah, while replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on a statutory resolution to extend President’s rule in J-K by six months, reiterated that the state is an integral part of India and no one can separate it from the country.
The Home Minister stated that the Modi government is following a policy to protect the sanctity of Kashmiri tradition, humanity and peace.
“We reopened schools, provided cooking gas, built toilets, provided electricity during President’s rule in J-K,” Shah said.
Attacking hardline elements in the state, Shah asked who threw out Kashmiri pandits, Sufi traditions from the Valley.
“Were they not part of Kashmiri tradition?” the Home Minister asked.
He said that the central government’s approach is clear towards dealing with milltancy in the Valley.
Our approach is clear, those who talk of breaking India we will respond to them in the same language,” Shah said.
On use of Article 356 to impose President’s rule in the state, the minister said he agrees with the spirit to minimise the use of the Constitutional provision.
Shah said democracy in the state should not be restricted to three families.
He also attacked Congress of misusing the Article 356 by invoking the constitutional provision to dismiss state governments led by rival parties in the past.Shah said assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state could not happen simultaneously because security to all candidates could not be given.
“Security agencies had expressed inability to provide security to candidates for holding Lok Sabha, assembly polls together,” he added.
Shah said the government will not delay elections in the state even for a day the moment Election Commission agrees to hold polls.
On forming government in J-K with the PDP, he said “it was not our decision but a result of fractured mandate” The BJP snapped ties with PDP when it realised that separatism was being encouraged, Shah said.
He added that the government does not want to mislead people on Jawaharlal Nehru but lessons have to be learnt from historical blunders.“All Kashmir problems are due to Nehru declaring ceasefire when one-third of Kashmir was with Pakistan,” he added.
The statutory resolution to extend President rule in J-K by six months was passed by Rajya Sabha after Shah’s reply.
Earlier, Leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asked the government to hold early assembly elections in J-K, while accusing it of running the state government from capital under the garb of President’s rule.
“Stop running the government from Delhi. Holding elections in the state would be the greatest confidence building measure,” he said.
The Congress leader also sought doubling reservation for people living in border areas to 6 per cent from the proposed 3 per cent.