Home Minister Amit Shah asserts stricter employment criteria in J-K

SRINAGAR — Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that those having a history of stone pelting and any sort of links with terrorism will not get government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.

Replying to the discussion on J&K Reservation (Amendment) Bill and J&K Re-organisation Bill 2023, in Rajya Sabha, the Home Minister, as per the news agency KNO, said that there will be no sympathy with terrorists and their sympathisers. “Those having the history of stone pelting and any sort of links with the terror and terrorists won’t get government jobs in J&K,” he said, adding that the process of dismissing the government employees having terror links has already started.

Shah said many youths laid down arms and joined the mainstream in the northeast and the Centre will welcome the gun-wielding youth of Kashmir if they lay down their arms and join the mainstream.

The Home Minister said that the Centre has started zero terror and complete area domination plan under which Kashmir will become terror and terrorism free.

He said a terrorist-specific jail will come up in J&K at the cost of Rs 130 crores where only terrorists will be lodged. “There will be jammers and other state-of-the-art facilities to ensure no security breach,” Shah said.

He said that those who have befooled the people of J&K on the pretext that Article 370 was not temporary must been feeling ashamed after the Supreme Court verdict. “We have started to see Kashmir of peace, progress and development,” the Home Minister said, adding that today the souls of Shama Prasad Mukherji and hundreds of those who laid their lives for the nation, must be resting in peace and comfort after SC verdict.

“Shama Prasad Mukheri had resigned from Nehru’s cabinet on the pretext that there can’t be two PMs, two constitutions and two flags in one country,” he said.

The Home Minister said that it was after 30 years that J&K saw Muharram procession openly on the road. Stating that not just the BJP but the entire nation welcomes the SC verdict on Article 370, Shah said that J&K has seen a dawn of peace, prosperity and development.

“For 30 years, theatres remained closed and today, three cinemas are functioning and 18 more are coming up. Tourists from Mumbai, Gujarat and Maharashtra are staying in the homes of Kashmiris and so far 10,000 homestays have been recorded,” Shah said, adding that a beginning to see terrorism-free Kashmir has started.