18 million tourists visited Kashmir, which is big achievement: Amit Shah
Nagpur: In one year, 18 million people have visited Kashmir, which is a big achievement, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Shah was speaking at an event organised by the Lokmat Media group in Nagpur to celebrate the birth centenary of founder-editor and veteran freedom fighter Jawaharlal Darda, popularly known as ‘Babuji’, and the golden jubilee of its Marathi newspaper’s edition from the city.
Explaining the three big aims of Amrit Kaal’, the 25-year period culminating in the centenary of India’s independence, mooted by PM Modi, Shah said the first goal is to showcase the sacrifices of freedom fighters before the present generation.
The second aim is to bring before the people the progress made by the country in the past 75 years, while the third aim is to ensure that India reaches the top in all sectors in the next 25 years, said the senior BJP leader.
Before the Modi government, the country faced internal security challenges in terms of Kashmir, Northeast and left-wing extremism. “Today, I can say that there has been an 80 per cent reduction in violence from (militancy) in Kashmir, insurgency in the Northeast and left-wing extremism under the Modi government,” he said.
The home minister said the Kashmir Valley saw about 1.8 crore tourists in one year, which he called a “big thing”.
There had been investments worth Rs 12,00 crore in Kashmir in 70 years but under the Modi government, it has got Rs 12,000 crore in just three years, he said.
“Each home in Kashmir has been provided with tap water and electricity, which is a huge change,” he said.
Insurgency has significantly come down in the Northeast, he said, stressing that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), a controversial statute, has been withdrawn from about 60 per cent of the area in the Northeast.
PM Modi’s vision is to see India at the top in the world, said the minister.
He said India is becoming “atmanirbhar” in defence production with 70 per cent self-reliance and asserted that the country is turning into a manufacturing hub in the world under Modi.
The government has been taking decisions that are beneficial to the people, he said, adding that India will be leading the world in hydrogen production in two to three years. “Similarly, India will be way ahead in the field of satellites in four to five years,” he said.
Indian start-ups are also proving their mettle to the world, he said.
The home minister praised Modi for his efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus in India and said the his call for Janta curfew’ got a huge response. Recalling former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s call to miss a meal once a week’, Shah said Modi is the only leader after Shastri to whom the masses in India listened to.
Earlier in the programme, Shah released a special issue of the Nagpur edition of Lokmat and a commemorative coin in the memory of Babuji and a special postage stamp on the group’s golden jubilee.
Shah praised the contribution of late Jawaharlal Darda in the field of journalism and social work. He also lauded the group for carrying forward the values of Jawaharlal Darda.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also spoke on the occasion and hailed the contribution of Jawaharlal Darda to social causes.
Calling Shah rashtra ka pehredar’ (guard of the nation), Lokmat Group chairman Vijay Darda said the minister has taken several decisions in the interest of the country.
Darda said he sees shades of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Shah. He also requested the minister to introduce a law for ensuring the safety of journalists and photojournalists. (PTI)
