Centre, J&K govt will change 'destiny' of state: Rajnath

Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government will make every effort to change the "face and destiny" of the state by empowering the youth with education and helping them excel in sports.

He said the Centre was concerned about the future of the youth and this has led to the decision to withdraw the cases registered against youngsters who were "misled" into taking part in stone-pelting incidents against the security forces.

"We believe that children anywhere are same. We understand that a few youths were misled into stone-pelting... Children can make mistakes... (And) that is why we decided to withdraw the cases against those children who were involved in stone-pelting," Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the state, said.

He said the Centre and the state government have started schemes to help the young people in securing their future.

"With the help of Jammu and Kashmir government, we will change the face and destiny of the state," Singh said at an event at the Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Stadium in Srinagar.

"There is extreme love in the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Jammu and Kashmir. It is our responsibility to provide a secure future to the youth of the state and it can be done with the power of education and miracle of sports," the home minister said.

He urged the youth of the Valley not to tread the path of destruction. "I want to appeal the youth that they should take the path of development."