KINS Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 31 (KINS): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday dismissed what he described as “unnecessary speculation” surrounding the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory, asserting that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had already made the Centre’s stance clear.
Speaking at a public event held at SKICC Srinagar to mark Rashtriya Ekta Diwas and the UT’s Foundation Day, the Lieutenant Governor as per news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) reiterated that the Home Minister’s position remains consistent — “first delimitation, then assembly elections, and statehood at an appropriate time.”
“Some people are trying to mislead the public on this issue. I want to make it clear that the Union Territory government already has sufficient powers, and those powers must be used for public welfare instead of spreading confusion,” Sinha said.
Marking October 31 as the “birth of a new Jammu and Kashmir,” the LG described the day as a symbol of transformation — representing the end of fear, separatism, and discrimination, and the dawn of peace, development, and democratic participation.
Recalling the constitutional changes of 2019, Sinha said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, history was rewritten when laws enacted by the Indian Parliament were made applicable to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time.
“Many people made sacrifices to make this possible, and the foundation for this transformation was laid by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,” he said, adding that “people today are fully aware of those who once conspired to divide this region.”
Reflecting on the past, the Lieutenant Governor said that prior to the abrogation of Article 370, even the President of India had no authority in Jammu and Kashmir. “A few individuals ruled while thousands lived deprived. Artificial barriers were created that kept our sisters away from their rights,” he remarked.
He said the abrogation of Article 370 marked the collapse of those “walls of separatism.” Crediting the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security forces, Sinha said they have “broken the backbone of terrorism,” and as a result, “the era of fear has ended, and people are freely participating in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, strengthening democracy in the Union Territory.”
“The new generation has rejected violence. Stone pelting has become history. People are now coming out spontaneously in support of peace and progress,” the LG said.
Emphasising that terrorism cannot survive without societal support, Sinha said, “Terrorism thrives on ideology and public backing. When society withdraws that support, terrorism dies — and that process has already begun.”(KINS)
