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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BJP leader Ashoka slams Siddaramaiah for asking people to support son in Varuna segment
Bengaluru (PTI): Taking a dig at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for calling on the people of his Varuna assembly segment to support and nurture his son Yathindra, just as they did to him, senior BJP leader R Ashoka on Saturday asked whether this was a monarchy to announce a successor.
The Leader of the Opposition also termed it a "bad" development in state politics.
"Siddaramaiah gives speeches claiming that he is a socialist and not a casteist or a nepotist. Yesterday, he asked people to nurture his son politically. All these years, they nurtured him, now his son, and next he will come in six months with a similar request for his grandson. Is this monarchy to announce a successor," Ashoka asked.
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Speaking to reporters here, he said Siddaramaiah seems to have abandoned Ambedkar's principles.
"One has to win through ballots in politics....such appeals in politics will be an offence to the principles with which Ambedkar drafted our Constitution. It is surprising that Siddaramaiah has made such a statement. This is not good for state politics," he added.
Addressing a gathering at his Varuna constituency in Mysuru on Friday, Siddaramaiah said he will remain in politics till his "last breath" and will continue to serve the people as much as he can. He also called on the people of the segment to support and nurture his son and Congress MLC Yathindra politically, just as they supported him.
The opposition leader also took a dig at "dinner parties" within the Congress amid the ongoing power struggle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's camps and speculation about a leadership change, stating that "this is a dinner party government."
"They are not worried about the difficulties faced by the state's people. They are only concerned with who will hold the chief minister post and maintain power. This is betrayal to the people of the state," he added.
Reacting to Ramanagara Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain criticising the state budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah last week, Ashoka claimed that a number of other ruling party legislators are also unhappy with the Budget, as it did not meet their expectations.
"Hussain has only expressed the opinion of other Congress MLAs. He has spoken the truth. I compliment him," he added.
Responding to a question, Ashoka urged the state government to take action against those indulging in hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders amid supply constraints caused by the West Asia conflict.
Pointing out that the supply issues have arisen due to conflict, he said, "Those trying to blame the Centre for the gas crisis should understand this. They should suggest alternatives to address the supply issue caused by the war."
Appealing to the people of the state to cooperate in the current situation, Ashoka hit out at CM Siddaramaiah for doing politics on the issue that has arisen due to the war in the Middle East.
