J&K statehood will be restored after assembly polls: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will come up after assembly polls and that a call on the timing of elections will be taken by the Election Commission.

Shah also said there has been improvement in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and militant-related figures were at their lowest.

Shah said Article 370 pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir, which was abrogated by the BJP-led government in 2019, had harmed the country.

He said the way development is taking place in Jammu and Kashmir, militancy is gradually ending. “See all the figures, there is a lot of change in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Answering queries, Shah said “the government has been effective in tacking Left Wing Extremism and has kept a close watch on the activities of Khalistan sympathisers”. The minister said he cannot comment on the timing of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I had clearly stated that statehood will be restored in Jammu and Kashmir after elections. Process of preparation of voters’ list is nearing completion in the UT. Now, the Election Commission has to take a call on elections,” he said.

Asked about his earlier statement mentioning the emergence of new leadership in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said that new leadership will emerge from local bodies where polls had been held earlier.