619 militants killed in four years in J&K: Rajnath Singh
Lucknow, May 29: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said a total of 619 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir had been killed in gun battles with security forces as he highlighted the all-round improvement in internal and external security under the Narendra Modi government.
He also clarified that the operations against militants had not been stopped during the holy month of Ramadan but had just been suspended. "It is not ceasefire but a temporary suspension of operations," he said, adding that the army is free to respond to any terrorist attack.
Addressing media persons here, the senior BJP leader said the number of terrorists killed in the previous UPA-II government was 471.
"There has been no compromise on the unity and integrity of the nation and we are proactively pursuing operations against the terrorist groups and subversive elements," Singh added, but did not respond to a query on how many security personnel were killed in this period.
He however said that respecting the supreme sacrifice of the security personnel in the line of duty for the nation, the Union Government had scaled uo the ex-gratia sum from Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore for their families.
Rajnath Singh also said that incursions had also decreased during the four years of the Modi government and it had come down by 85 per cent in the northeast.
Compared to a high of 2,418 Maoist incidents under the UPA regime, only 1,481 incidents have taken place in the NDA rule, he said. "In 2013, Maoists were active in 76 districts but there area of influence and operations has shrunk to 58 districts in the last four years," he added.
He also said that to secure the country's boundaries, a new border security system was being started under which LED lights would be installed along with new technique radars on the borders.
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NDA's win in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation watershed moment in Kerala politics: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday termed the mandate received by the BJP-led NDA in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation a "watershed moment" in Kerala's politics and expressed gratitude to the BJP workers for the "spectacular results".
The Left parties suffered a major setback in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, held by them for 45 years, as the BJP-led NDA surged ahead with a huge lead.
Reacting to the civic body results, the prime minister said it is a day to recall the work and struggles of generations of karyakartas (workers) in Kerala, who worked at the grassroots, which ensured today's result became a reality.
"Thank you Thiruvananthapuram! The mandate the BJP-NDA got in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is a watershed moment in Kerala's politics," he wrote on 'X'.
PM Modi said the people are certain that the development aspirations of Kerala can only be addressed by the BJP. "Our Party will work towards this vibrant city's growth and boost 'Ease of Living' for the people," he said with the hashtag #VikasitaThiruvananthapuram.
The prime minister said the BJP karyakartas are the strength of the party, and everyone is proud of them.
"My gratitude to all hardworking BJP karyakartas who have worked among the people, which has ensured a spectacular result in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation," he said.
