Infiltration has increased in 2016: Rajnath Singh

Infiltration along the Jammu and Kashmir border has increased this year compared to 2015, but at the same time Indian security forces have eliminated more terrorists, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.

Singh also said that tolerating unrest was not easy for people in Kashmir and the all-party delegation to the troubled state had created a "perceptional change" in the people there.

"Infiltration had been happening earlier but I can say that the infiltration numbers have decreased in 2015 compared to earlier, but in 2016 it has increased, it is true," Singh told reporters onboard Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi, which was commissioned by him at the Goa Shipyard Limited here.

"But our security forces, our army, our para-military forces commandos has succeeded in eliminating terrorists to quite an extent and compared to earlier there have been more eliminations," he added.

"In Kashmir, there has been improvement. The situation is under better control than earlier. And I can say that in the coming days, the situation will be under complete control," the home minister said.

He also said that the central government was trying its best to "improve" the situation in Kashmir and its aim was to restore peace and normalcy in the valley.

"Dialogue with people there is on. There has been a perceptional change after the visit by the all-party delegation in the people there. Tolerating unrest for a long period is difficult for any population. We understand it. Peace and normalcy should be restored. We are working towards it," Singh said.

"The all-party delegation had gone to understand the situation there... Our effort will be to take all parties into confidence and take the next step. We are doing that," he said.

--IANS

maya/pgh/bg