Union minister of home affairs Amit Shah on Friday claimed that violence in Kashmir, Northeast and the Maoist-hit regions across the country has reduced by 80%. “Today, I can say that there has been an 80% reduction in violence from terrorism in Kashmir, insurgency in the Northeast and ultra-left movement under the Modi government,” Shah said.
Shah was speaking during the golden jubilee of Lokmat Marathi daily and its founder Jawaharlal Darda’s birth centenary celebrations in Nagpur.
The home minister also underlined the positive effects of the abrogation of Article 370 by the centre and spoke about the achievements of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at a function organised here on Saturday by Lokmat Media Group.
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He also claimed that after the abrogation of Article 370, over 1.8 crore tourists visited India in one year which he called a “big thing” and added that this indicates that a “peaceful atmosphere prevailed in the country, including in the border state.”
Speaking about the initiatives taken by the central government, Shah said there had been investments worth ₹12,000 crore in Kashmir in 70 years but under the Modi government, it has got ₹12,000 crore in just three years. “Each home in Kashmir has been provided with tap water and electricity, which is a huge change in the border state,” he added.
The home minister said India is becoming “atmanirbhar” in defence production– with 70 per cent self-reliance– and asserted that the country is turning into a manufacturing hub in the world under PM Modi.
The government has been taking decisions that are beneficial to the people, he said, adding that India will be leading the world in hydrogen production in two to three years. Similarly, India will be way ahead in the field of satellites in four to five years. Indian start-ups are also proving their mettle to the world, he said.
“India is moving fast today. I believe that PM Modi would turn India into the top of the world by 2047 when we celebrate the centenary year of India’s freedom. Maybe there will not be many of us alive by that time. But I can say with such confidence that the youth of 2047 will represent India at the top of the world,” he said.
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Shah further praised PM Modi for his efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus in India and said his call for a ‘Janta curfew’ got a huge response. Recalling former Prime Minister late Lal Bahadur Shastri’s call to ‘miss a meal once a week’ during the Indo-Pak war, Shah said Modi is the only leader after Shastri to whom the masses in India listened to.
“India’s role during the Covid-19 pandemic accumulated worldwide praise and the Modi government had provided free food to 80 crore people,” he added.
The home minister arrived in Nagpur on Friday night. He paid a visit to the historic Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Deeksha bhoomi on Saturday morning. He also paid tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution and later visited the Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir in the Reshimbagh area in Nagpur and paid tributes to Dr Hedgewar’s memorial.
Earlier, Shah released a special issue of the Nagpur edition of the Marathi daily ‘Lokmat’. He also released a commemorative coin in memory of Jawaharlal Darda, the founder of Lokmat, and a special postage stamp on Lokmat’s Golden Jubilee.