Real normalcy in J&K after removal of Article 370: Nirmala Sitharaman

“How can we say there was normalcy in Kashmir earlier when the Constitution of India was not applicable there? We were shown fake normalcy since 1947 under the garb of Article 370. Now, after the removal of 370, Kashmir has real normalcy,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during her reply to debate on Jammu and Kashmir Budget in the House.

Presenting a blow by blow rebuttal to Opposition charges about the Kashmir after the removal of Article 370 in 2019, a combative Sitharaman said that Kashmiris were denied rights enshrined by Constitution all these years.

“After the removal (of Art 370), 890 central laws have now become applicable to Jammu and Kashmir. The removal will give people their rights. The rights that were enshrined in the Constitution made by Dr Ambedkar are now available to the people of Kashmir,” she said.

Calling the existence of Article 370 “discriminatory”, Sitharaman said its removal was “necessary” and “delayed”.

“This country cannot have two symbols, two PMs and two Constitutions, when we have a Constitution we respect and revere,” she said.

Taking on the subject of Kashmiri Pandits, as shown in the movie ‘The Kashmir Files’, Sitharaman said that the “bitter truth” about what happened to them was suppressed with denials all these years.

“At that time when so much was happening to the Hindus and they didn’t know how to get out, and I don’t want to say… Can’t even utter this here… People were threatened to convert or else they would not be alive… this happened, but the truth was suppressed with denial…even today there was denial… Today people were talking about the film… even yesterday, there was denial from Congress’s official handle has tweeted that Kashmiri Pandits voluntarily left Kashmir,” she said.

Taking on the Congress and the National Conference’s Hasnain Masoodi, who also took part in the debate, Sitharaman said that the Congress denied the truth because the National Conference was in power at that time and the Congress was its partner. As Masoodi in his speech had talked about the “right to happiness in childhood” in Kashmir, Sitharaman in her reply shot back saying such right earlier was reserved by the children of a select few “elite families”.

“The Congress said in its official tweet that this was a long battle between separatists and those who stand for India. At that time NC was in power and Congress was a partner in that. Their Chief Minister left Hindus to their fate and went abroad,” she said.

“Congress must answer why a separatist, who had accepted that he killed an Indian Air Force officer, was invited by the then Prime Minister of India and shook hands with him. This separatist admitted on a foreign TV that yes, he did kill air force officers,” she added.

Speaking of the Modi government’s work towards the Kashmiri Pandits, Sitharaman said 1,025 transit accommodation have been created for them, while 4,678 posts of Kashmiri Pandits have been filled in the Valley. “Every year they remember the day of 19 January 1990 with sadness… what you have done. We fulfil our promises,” she said.

Talking about the economy of Kashmir after 2019, Sitharaman listed the government’s various achievments and said that Kashmir saw the arrival of the highest number of tourists.

“Highest ever tourist footfall of 50,33,956 from October 2021 to January 2022. This would not have been possible if the environment was not conducive,” she said.

Speaking of projects of the government in the Union Territory, Sitharaman said that 40,000 projects were completed in 2021-22 as against 9229 in 2018-19.

About employment, Sitharman said that unemployment figures as reported by the CMIE, had fallen to 13.2 per cent now. “There have been 11000 employment in government through fair means,” she said. She added that earlier, there used to be “backdoor” employment.

Ragarding terrorism, Sitharaman read figures that all indicators of terrorism were falling. “There has been 33 per cent drop in police persons martyred. There has been 90 per cent decrease in ceasefire violations. As against 937 incidents in 2020, the reported incidents were 98,” she said.