Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeks discussion in parliament on Jammu-Kashmir

Congress' Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday sought time for a detailed discussion on Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of the ongoing exodus of Kashmiri Pandits taking place from the valley due to targeted terror attacks.

Speaking in the lower House, Chowdhury said, "Today, Kashmiri Pandits are leaving Kashmir. Terrorists preparing lists of names of Kashmiri Pandits to target them."

"In this situation, a detailed discussion should be held on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir in the House," he added.

On Wednesday, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Parliament that nine Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the Kashmir Valley from 2020 to 2022.

Among the nine, four Kashmiri Pandits including a person belonging to the Kashmiri Rajput community were killed in 2022, four in 2021, and one in 2020, mentions data shared in the Rajya Sabha by Rai in a written reply to Congress MP Rajmani Patel.

The government has a policy of "zero tolerance against terrorism and the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir, Rai had said.

The union territory has witnessed a "substantial decline" in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021, the Minister mentioned.

Rai further stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs incurred a total of Rs 2,814.095 crore as expenditure on security-related expenditure on the Police of Jammu and Kashmir between 2019 to 2021.

The Minister said Rs 936.095 crore was spent in 2021, Rs 611 crore in 2020 and Rs 1,267 in 2019 of the total expenditure incurred during these three years.

Rai said the Home Ministry has taken various measures to protect the lives of the civilians in Jammu and Kashmir which include 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 organizations.