No one has died in police firing post-Article 370, says Home Min
nAsserting that normalcy has returned to the Kashmir Valley following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the situation is completely normal and not a single civilian was killed in police firing in the Jammu & Kashmir. However, the detention of politicians and the blockade of the internet and social media were continuing because of security concerns. Shah reiterated that schools, colleges, offices, shops and markets are open.
Presenting the status report on Kashmir in the Rajya Sabha, the Home Minister said there is no shortage of medicine, food and fuel and the law and order situation is extremely normal. “People in this House were predicting bloodshed but I am happy to inform that no one has died in police firing,” Shah said.
Replying to a question from Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad on the restoration of internet services, the Home Minister said that facilities will be restored at an appropriate time by the authorities there. “As we all know our neighbouring country (Pakistan) is carrying out various covert activities there, and only after taking into consideration the law and order, a decision in this regard can be taken,” Shah said.
Azad challenged the logic cited by Shah and remarked that Pakistan has been India’s neighbour since 1947, since when India has also fought wars against it. If this were the case, Azad said, then internet would never be restored in the Valley. This led to a war of words between both sides.
The claim of normalcy also prompted the Opposition to ask why their MPs were barred from entering J&K. This prompted Shah to say, “I agree that internet is quite essential for information and it should be restored as soon as possible. But let me remind him that mobile phones were introduced in India in around 1995, and Kashmir got mobile phones for the first time in 2003 by the then BJP Government. Internet was also introduced in the Valley only in 2002, due to security reasons. Internet is an essential facility but when the question is about security and law and order, I think we to understand our priorities.”
Seeing the ruckus, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu disallowed any further discussion on the question. Besides internet services, Azad raised the issue of education in the State which has been affected after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A on August 5 this year.
On the issue of imposition of section 144 in Jammu & Kashmir, Shah said the section was applied in areas under a few police stations only for limited hours - from 8 pm to 6 am. “In not even one of the total 195 police stations, the Section 144 is imposed. It has been lifted completely. As precautionary measures, it is imposed only between 8 pm and 6 am and that too in areas of very few police stations,” he said.
Shah also cited a number of figures of healthcare facilities, school examination attendance, polling percentage in recently held Block Development Council polls, and of the landlines and mobile phones restored to argue that situation in Kashmir was ‘normal’. The Home Minister said that incidents of stone pelting have declined from 802 last year to 544 so far this year. “The medicines are available to Kashmiris in ample supply. Hospitals and mobile vans are stocked fully. In Srinagar in September this year 7.66 lakh people checked into the OPD. While in October (a month after restrictions were enforced in the Valley) the number of OPD patients increased to 7.91 lakh. So there is no let-up in healthcare facilities.”
“All 20,411 schools are open in Kashmir. In recently held 11th Class examinations 99.48 per cent students appeared. And in recently held 10th and 12th class examinations 99.7 per cent students appeared for examination,” Shah said. Azad had pointed out that the number of students appearing in schools and colleges during routine class was between zero and five per cent only.
“Out of 316 Block Development Councils elections were successfully held in 307 BDCs with a polling percentage of 98.3 per cent. These elections were conducted in at atmosphere free of fear,” Shah said.
“The sale of essentials like petrol, diesel, kerosene, LPG and rice has increased between eight to 16 per cent in the Valley. As far as apple production is concerned, this season a total of 22.58 lakh metric tonnes of apple produce is expected of which NAFED has already bought 6 lakh metric tonnes. All 93,247 landline connections have been restored. All 59 lakh mobile phone connections have been restored. In 10 districts, 280 e-terminals have been set up for internet. Urdu and English newspapers are working as usual. Banking is functioning smoothly. Shops are open throughout the day, except at noon. And the High Court has dealt with 52,000 cases since August 5,” Shah said.