GoI’s J&K Normalcy Narrative Self-Contradictory: Mehbooba

Mehbooba reacted after Home Minister of India Amit Shah said elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after completion of the ongoing delimitation process and statehood will be restored once the situation in J&K becomes normal.

SRINAGAR — Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday sharply reacted to the Home Minister of India Amit Shah’s statement that statehood to J&K will be restored once the situation in the erstwhile state becomes “normal”.

Mufti said after “terrorisng” the people of the erstwhile state into silence, the Government of India’s admission that the situation still isn’t normal is “self-contradictory”. She said that it also proves that the silence should not be misconstrued as normalcy.

“After quite literally terrorising people of J&K into silence to create a false normalcy narrative, GOIs admission that situation still isn’t normal is self contradictory. Also proves that silence shouldn’t be misconstrued as normalcy [SIC].”

Earlier, Amit Shah while virtually releasing India’s first “District Good Governance Index”, said assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after completion of the ongoing delimitation process and statehood will be restored once the situation in the union territory becomes normal.

Shah said Jammu and Kashmir is a priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and multipronged efforts are being made for the all-round development of J&K.

“As far as the democratic process is concerned, the delimitation process has started. After its completion, we will hold the (assembly) elections.”

Taking a dig at the regional political parties, without naming them, Shah said that some people have said many things, but I want to tell you that I had given assurance in Parliament that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be restored. “Once the situation in Jammu and Kashmir becomes normal, the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be restored,” he said.

Requesting people not to fall for the trap, he said some people want to create confusion in the minds of the people of the valley.

Stating that democracy has reached the lowest level of the society after implementation of the Panchayati raj system, Shah said, “But to sustain the democracy, peace is necessary for Jammu and Kashmir. I want to appeal to the youths of Jammu and Kashmir not to get instigated by the statements of vested interests. I want to tell the youths to have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have faith in Jammu and Kashmir administration,” he said.

Shah said some people were spreading lies for their narrow political interests.

“I want to appeal to everyone, especially the youths to ask these people some questions. Those who are saying that the valley’s land will be usurped, they should be asked whose land has been taken away so far. By spreading such lies, they are trying to put barriers to the development of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Those who were saying that violence will enhance. They should be asked whether violence has gone up or reduced. They had said no investment will come, but the fact is that already Rs 12,000 crore investment has come. Tourists arrivals have also gone up and Jammu and Kashmir is marching towards development,” he said.

Shah said many changes have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir under the initiative of the local administration and the guidance of the prime minister.

“I want to tell everyone, especially youths, youths of the valley, to give attention towards development, be part of the development process,” he said.

Some people have gone to even to the extreme and said that until Article 370 is restored, law and order in Jammu and Kashmir can never be good, he said.

“I want to tell all of them that there has been a 40 percent reduction in terror-related incidents and a 57 percent reduction in deaths since Article 370 was abrogated. It shows that peace has no connection with change. Peace has a connection with the administration. When people get good administration, people get involved with the administration,” he said.