Centre opposes pleas against abrogation of Article 370, tells SC 'stone pelting incidents down to zero’

The organized stone pelting incidences connected with terrorism-separatist agenda, which were as high as 1767 in the year 2018 has come down to zero in the year 2023 till date. In the year 2018, there were 52 incidences of organized Bandh/ Hartal, which has come down to zero in the year 2023 till date, the Centre told the Supreme Court in its counter affidavit. -- Reports ETV Bharat's Sumit Saxena.

New Delhi: Opposing petitions challenging abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has told the Supreme Court that since 2019, the entire region has witnessed an 'unprecedented era of peace, progress, and prosperity', and the "organized stone pelting incidences connected with terrorism-separatist agenda, which were as high as 1767 in 2018 have come down to zero in the year 2023 till date”.

In a counter affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Home Affairs submitted that the street violence, engineered and orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks has now become a thing of the past. “The organized stone pelting incidences connected with terrorism-separatist agenda, which were as high as 1767 in the year 2018 has come down to zero in the year 2023 till date. In the year 2018, there were 52 incidences of organized Bandh/ Hartal, which has come down to zero in the year 2023 till date. In addition, resolute anti-terror actions have resulted in the dismantling of the terror eco-system which is reflected in a significant drop in terrorist recruitment from 199 in the year 2018 to 12 in the year 2023 till date”, said the affidavit.

The Centre stressed that it has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and after constitutional changes, the security situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly. The affidavit said terrorist-initiated instances have brought down by 45.2 percent – from 228 in 2018 to 125 in 2022 – and net infiltration has reduced by 90.2 percent, and also law and order events have come down significantly by 97. 2 percent – 1767 in 2018 to 50 in 2022, and also security forces casualties have come down from 91 in 2018 to 31 in 2022.

The Centre said after the historic changes, the region has witnessed “profound ameliorative, affirmative, and progressive changes in the last four years encompassing its entire governance – including the developmental activities, public administration, and security matters".

The affidavit said since 2019, the entire region has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity and “life has returned to normalcy in the region after over three decades of turmoil”. “It is submitted that schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other public institutions are functioning efficiently without any strikes or any kind of disturbances during the last three years. The earlier practice of daily hartals, strikes, stone pelting and bandhs are things of the past now”, it said.

The Centre emphasized that with the application of all the provisions of the Constitution, all residents of the region are enjoying all rights which are available to all citizens in other parts of the country. The apex court is scheduled to take up the batch of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 next week.