Stating that the Centre has a “zero-tolerance policy towards militancy,” Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Monday said that there is a significant drop in terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, Thakur said, “The government’s resolve against terror has been displayed time and again from Surgical Strike to Balakot Strike. The action by our armed forces has caused a significant drop in terrorist incidents in Jammu Kashmir. Similarly, we have achieved a 94% conviction rate in terror financing cases.”
As per an official release, the minister spoke at length about the efforts of the government towards creating an atmosphere of peace in the northeast and said since 2014 violence due to insurgency has seen an 80% decline and civilian deaths dropped 89%. Added to this is the achievement of surrender by 6,000 militants since 2014, he said.
“The Government is committed to go beyond armed action to counter militancy and has worked to create an atmosphere of lasting peace across the region,” he added.
He said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been completely withdrawn from Tripura and Meghalaya.
“It remains in force in only 3 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, 60 percent of Assam is free of AFSPA, 15 police stations under 6 districts have been taken out of the category of Disturbed Area, Disturbed Area notification has been removed from 15 police stations in 7 districts,” he said.
To ensure peace in the region, he said multiple peace treaties, including Bodo Accord in 2020, Karbi Anglong Agreement in 2021 and Assam- Meghalaya Inter-State Boundary Agreement in 2022 have been signed.