Government on Wednesday rejected claims of opposition parties in Lok Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir has been converted into an “open jail”, asserting that the newly created union territory is open for tourists and shut for militants.
Intervening in a discussion on budgetary allocations forJammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy saidthe Modi government wants the youth of the UT to hold the national tricolourand computers, instead of Pakistani flags and stones.
He said misinformation is being spread that Jammu andKashmir has been converted into an “open jail”.
He said it is incorrect. “It is not an open jail. It isopen for all today. It is open for tourists. It is shut for terrorists,”he said.
The minister said he takes the opportunity to assure thepeople of Jammu and Kashmir that various central schemes such as Ujjwala andIndradhanush would be implemented there in the next two to three months.
Taking a swipe at the opposition parties, Reddy said whilein their hearts they support abrogation of Article 370 which gave specialstatus to Jammu and Kashmir, they prefer not to acknowledge it openly.He also said thatcasualties among security forces have come down as militant networks have beensmashed.