Mistakes of past rectified, Jammu & Kashmir Re organization Bill 2023 and J&K Reservation BILL 2023 both passed
The Lok Sabha passed the Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 on Wednesday. Thus the root cause of terrorism Article 370 has been fully buried. This was reiterated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah while speaking in the Lok Sabha.
Apart from calling out past governments of the Congress for failing to maintain peace in Jammu and Kashmir, he also criticized the party on other fronts as well. “Congress has done the greatest harm to Other Backward Classes,” Shah said while giving credit to PM Narendra Modi for the recent welfare work done for the backward classes.
In his Lok Sabha speech, Shah pointed out two mistakes of former Congress Government led by Shri Jawaharlal Nehru that harmed Kashmir the most. Now one of the bills, would give representation in the assembly to those who had to leave Kashmir due to terrorism. One of two bills on Jammu and Kashmir seeks to nominate two Kashmiri Migrant community members, including a woman, to assembly, he added.
There would be 24 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly reserved for Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) as they belong to India. While tabling the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2023 in the House, Amit Shah said that earlier, Jammu had 37 seats but now it has 43. Meanwhile, Kashmir, which had 46 seats, now has 47.
Amit Shah further said, “When they (Kashmiri Pandits) were displaced, they were forced to live as refugees in their country. Around 46,631 families were displaced in their own country. This Bill is to get them rights, this Bill is to give them representation.” The bills aimed at delivering justice to people who had been deprived for the past 70 years. Notably, one of two bills on Jammu and Kashmir seeks to nominate two Kashmiri migrant community members, including a woman, to the assembly.
In a dig at the Congress, Amit Shah said that there was an era of terrorism after the 1980s in Jammu and Kashmir and those “responsible for stopping it were enjoying vacations in England”.
He added, “When Kashmiri Pandits were displaced, they were forced to live as refugees in their own country.”
Talking about the economic boost in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article-370, Amit Shah highlighted the boom of the entertainment industry in the region.
“The first theatre was made in multiplex in 2021 after the abrogation of Article 370. Over 100 films are being shot in the valley and the bank loan proposals for over 100 movie theatres are under process,” he said.
Comparing the situation of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir during the Congress government, Amit Shah highlighted the massive reduction of incidents of stone pelting between 2004-2014 and 2014-2023. He also called ‘Article 370 the root cause of terrorism.
“During the 1994-2004 period, a total of 40,164 incidents of terrorism were registered. During the 2004-2014 period, a total of 7,217 incidents of terrorism took place. During the 2014-2023 period, under the Narendra Modi government, the total incidents of terrorism registered have been around 2,000, which marks a 70% reduction in the incidents of terrorism from what it was earlier,” he said.
