Patna: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood will be restored “at an appropriate time,” while assuring a “positive resolution” to the issues raised by the people of Ladakh.
Speaking at a media conclave in Patna, Shah said that since the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir — once plagued by terrorism — has witnessed a major transformation, adding that “no local youth has joined terrorist ranks in the past nine months.”
“This is a qualitative change in Jammu and Kashmir, where separatism had taken deep roots since the 1990s. Earlier, Pakistan didn’t even need to send terrorists across the border — they would simply arm our own youth. But now the situation has changed. The people of Jammu and Kashmir feel they belong to the entire nation, and the nation belongs to them,” Shah said at the event organised by ABP News and Hindustan.
Highlighting democratic progress in the Union Territory, Shah said, “Democracy has been fully restored in Jammu and Kashmir. Panchayat, municipal, and assembly elections have been held, and Rajya Sabha polls will also take place in due course.”
Responding to remarks by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about a “gulf” between Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi due to the delay in restoring statehood, Shah said, “He may be saying this due to political compulsions. Statehood will be restored at an appropriate time, after due discussions.”
On the ongoing protests in Ladakh, the Home Minister said the Centre is “in dialogue with committees from Leh and Kargil” and urged residents to remain patient. “There will be a fair and satisfactory resolution of all legitimate demands,” he assured, referring to the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, which represent Ladakh’s political and civil society groups.
Asked about the detention of activist Sonam Wangchuk, accused of instigating protests that led to violence in Leh, Shah said, “I can speak about people’s demands, not about an individual case. His matter is before the court, and the court will decide based on the evidence.”
The Home Minister also spoke about the government’s crackdown on Maoist insurgency, accusing left-wing extremists of “keeping tribal regions backward.”
“In the 11 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, we have dismantled more than 600 Maoist camps, choked their finances, and cut off access to arms. I can confidently say that Maoism will be completely eradicated by December 31, 2026,” Shah declared.
