Srinagar, July 20: Centre on Wednesday said 128 security force personnel and 118 civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 and subsequent bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state and J&K and Ladakh union territories on 5 August 2019.
In a written reply to a question by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in the ongoing monsoon session of the parliament, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai said five Kashmiri Pandits and 18 others belonging to Hindu/Sikh communities were among the civilian killed during the period, news agency GNS reported.
“The Government has a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir,” Rai said in the reply.
“There has been substantial decline in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021,” he said, adding, “From August 5, 2019 till 9th July, 2022, 128 security force personnel and 118 civilians have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of 118 civilians killed, he said, 5 were Kashmiri Pandits and 16 belonged to other Hindu/Sikh communities. “No Pilgrim has been killed during this period,” he said.
Singh had sought details about the number of civilians, pilgrims and security forces personnel killed in Jammu and Kashmir from August 5, 2019 to till date, and out of them how many were Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits.
To Singh’s queries about number of Kashmiri Pandits residing in other parts of the country who were resettled in the valley and the number of Kashmiri Pandits who migrated from the valley during the period, Rai said: “Under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), 5502 Kashmiri Pandits have been provided Government jobs in different departments of Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir in the valley.”
He said that as per the records, no Kashmiri Pandit has “reportedly” migrated from the valley during the period.