Terrorism on the decline in J&K, will be rooted out: Rajnath Singh

Terrorism is on decline in Jammu and Kashmir since abrogation of Article 370 and menace will be rooted out in foreseeable future, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.

dressing an election rally in this rth Bihar district, Singh, a former BJP president, said party has taken to ir logical conclusion all issues it has been ideologically committed to- be it Ayodhya temple, Article 370 or expeditious grant of citizenship to persecuted religious mirities in Pakistan, Banglesh and Afghanistan.

That Article 370 should go has been our ideological position since time of Shyama Pras Mookerji. We stuck to stand when Jana Sangh came into being and remained stefast in new avatar BJP.

"Once our party formed a government and mustered numbers in Parliament, we scrapped it in a snap of finger (chutki bajaakar khatm kar diya), said Singh, evoking applause from crowds.

He lamented that despite having enjoyed a special status for so long, J&K, which has w been split into two union territories, remained backward because of rampant corruption and terrorism.

But things have begun to look up. A decline in terrorist activities has been ticed in Jammu and Kashmir ever since so-called special status was done away with. In my capacity as defence minister, I wish to assure all that menace will be rooted out in near future, Singh ded.

Speaking about CAA, which h triggered country- wide protests late last year and continued till outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic, Singh said We were never in favour of Partition. But re were some powers and also our British colonizers, who me it possible. India retained its magnanimity in treating its mirities well. t so in new countries that came into being.

Our Sikh, Buddhist and Parsee brethren suffered untold hardships in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Banglesh. y have been forced to live in penury and constant fear of ir womenfolk losing ir hour. We h promised to bring in a legislation which would provide m with some succour and we did that, he said.

About Ayodhya, former Uttar Presh Chief Minister said we h pledged that upon coming to power, we will intervene in a manner that will bring to an end dispute over Ram Janmabhoomi and remove hurdles in way of construction of a Ram temple. I need t say we have been successful on this count too.

Singh lauded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi for having ruled state for 15 years without any blemish of corruption.

(Photo Credit: Twitter/rajnathsingh)