Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in Mumbai on Sunday that with the separatists in Jammu & Kashmir having become “fund starved” following demonetisation, the number of protesters taking part in stone-pelting in the terror-hit State had gone down markedly in recent months.
Speaking at a function organised by the Mumbai BJP on ‘New India Pledge’, Jaitley also said the demonetisation had a telling effect on Maoists too in the States, like Chhattisgarh. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was also present on the occasion.
“Stone pelters used to gather in thousands on the streets of Kashmir before demonetisation was announced, but now not even 25 come together for such agitations… After demonetisation, separatists in Jammu & Kashmir and also Maoists in States, like Chhattisgarh, have become fund starved,” said Jaitley, who also holds the portfolio of Defence Ministry.
Jaitley also said security forces with their resolute action had established dominance over terrorists in J&K and the Centre was firm that armed militancy must end in the border State. He said the Kashmir issue had become complicated because of cross-border support to terrorists and also because of local groups.
“The Kashmir issue had become complicated because of cross-border support (to terrorism) and (also) our own groups supporting the armed militants. Mass civil protests were seen in the form of stone- pelting and sometimes this was used to help terrorists escape,” he said.
The Defence Minister slammed the erstwhile Congress-led UPA Government, saying it had no firm policy to solve the decades-old Kashmir issue.
“The earlier Government did not solve the Kashmir issue then what right do they have to question usIJ There was a leadership which was not taking action and only finding excuses to delay taking any decision,” he alleged.
However, the Modi Government was firm in its conviction that armed militancy in the State bordering Pakistan must end, Jaitley said.
“Today, a time has come where all forces--local police, central forces and the Army -- are dominating terrorists. There is a clarity in our decision and stand that the armed military has to be ended,” he said.
“We must understand that we have a Prime Minister who faces challenges which no other PM had faced in the past,” Jaitley said.
The Minister said that the following the decision to scrap high-value notes in November last year, the money which was earlier getting circulated outside the economy had come into the formal banking system.
Dwelling upon the BJP’s vision for building a “New India”, Jaitley said, “We should have world-class public institutions so that shameful incidents such as the Gorakhpur tragedy do not recur.”
The Modi Government was not satisfied with a 7-7.5% GDP growth rate, said Jaitley adding, “We want to spend funds on Defence, rural development and infrastructure… To accelerate the growth rate, the Government will continue to take tough decisions in the interest of the nation as we have been doing ever since we came to power in 2014.”
Among the several achievements of the Modi-led Government during the last three years, Jaitley listed things like demonetisation, GST rollout, the insolvency and bankruptcy code, amendment to laws related to benami transactions, fair allocation of spectrum and natural resources and double taxation avoidance treaties signed with various countries.