Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing the Rajya Sabha during a debate on the working of the Home Ministry on Friday, asserted that the Narendra Modi government had fulfilled the vision of the Constitution’s architects by abrogating Article 370.
“Article 370 was the foundation of separatism in Kashmir. However, I am grateful to the Constitution’s framers who made it a temporary provision with a clear path for its removal,” Shah stated. He accused previous governments of perpetuating Article 370 due to “vote bank politics and stubbornness”.
The Home Minister emphasised the significant reduction in terrorism-related incidents since the article’s abrogation on August 5, 2019. “Between 2004 and 2014, there were 7,217 terrorism-related incidents. This number has decreased to 2,242 from 2014 to 2024. Civilian deaths have fallen by 81%, security forces’ fatalities by 50% and overall deaths by 70%,” he detailed.
Shah further pointed out at the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. “Over four decades, around 92,000 citizens lost their lives due to terrorism, left-wing extremism and insurgency. The Modi government undertook systematic efforts to address these threats,” he added.
Highlighting the restoration of democracy at the grassroots level, Shah noted the successful conduct of urban and rural local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir. “Between 2019 and 2024, the region saw the creation of 40,000 government jobs, 1.51 lakh self-employment opportunities and the establishment of skilling clubs.”
He also pointed to the improved security situation, recalling that stone-pelting incidents, which averaged 2,654 per year between 2010 and 2014, had reduced to none in 2024. “No one has the courage to engage in such acts now,” he remarked.
Shah celebrated the revival of normalcy in the Valley. “Cinema halls now remain open in the evenings, a G20 meeting was successfully hosted, and Muharram processions resumed. Additionally, the recent Lok Sabha elections were conducted peacefully, without any incidents of violence or booth rigging,” he stated.
“There was a time when political leaders from Delhi returned with certificates of victory, while people in Jammu and Kashmir stayed indoors out of fear. Today, 98% of voters participate without fear,” Shah concluded.