Nine Kashmiri Pandits killed between 2020-2022: Govt in RS
New Delhi, December 14: A total of nine Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the Kashmir Valley from 2020 to 2022, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said during the session in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.c
Four Kashmiri Pandits, including a member of the Kashmiri Rajput community, were killed in 2022, four in 2021, and one in 2020, according to data shared in the Upper House by Rai in a written response to Congress MP Rajmani Patel. Rai went on to say that the government has a policy of "zero tolerance against terrorism," and that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has significantly improved.
The Minister also stated that terrorist attacks have decreased "significantly" from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021.
In response to the question of "whether it is a fact that a huge amount is spent on Jammu and Kashmir security every year", the Minister informed that there are various agencies and organisations which operate for security of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
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Noting that details of expenditure for the purpose are not centrally maintained, Rai stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs incurred a total of Rs 2,814.095 crore in security-related expenditure on Jammu and Kashmir Police between 2019 and 2021.
The Minister stated that of the total expenditure incurred during these three years, 936.095 crores was spent in 2021, Rs 611 crore in 2020, and Rs 1,267 crore in 2019.
Rai stated that the Home Ministry has taken a wide range of measures to protect the lives of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, including round-the-clock nakas at strategic points, strict enforcement of the law against anti-national elements, intensified Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) to effectively deal with the challenges posed by terrorist organisations, surveillance on individuals who attempt to provide support to terrorists and initiate action against them, and sharing of intelligence.
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- ANI
