Terror incidents in J&K down by 168 pc, left wing extremism incidents by 265 pc under Modi govt: Thakur

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said that “terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir decreased by 168 per cent” since the Modi government came to power and “Left Wing Extremism incidents were down by over 265 per cent” since 2015.

Underlining that the Modi government has a “zero tolerance policy towards terrorism,” Thakur said, “the government undertook decisive actions which yielded definitive results.”

“Surgical strikes in 2016 were in response to the Uri attack. Balakot Air strikes in 2019 were in response to the Pulwama bombing, so all these decisive actions yielded definitive results,” Thakur told reporters here.

He said since 2014, violence due to insurgency has come down by 80 per cent, civilian deaths decreased by 89 per cent and 6,000 militants have surrendered.

“Terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir have reduced by 168 per cent under the Modi government and the conviction rate in terror financing cases is over 94 per cent,” he said.

While the Left Wing Extremism incidents have reduced by more than double to over 265 per cent from 2015 to June 2022 this year, the Minister added.

Thakur said,” an era of peace has started in the northeastern region under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.”

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been completely withdrawn from Tripura and Meghalaya and from 60 per cent of Assam, he said.

To ensure peace in the region, Thakur said multiple peace treaties, including Bodo Accord in 2020, Karbi Anglong Agreement in 2021 and Assam- Meghalaya Inter-State Boundary Agreement in 2022 have been signed.

Thakur made no reference to the actual numbers.

India conducted the surgical strike on September 29, 2016, across the Line of Control (LoC) as a response to a terrorist attack on an Army base in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

On February 26, 2019, Indian Air Force fighter jets crossed the Line of Control and destroyed terror launch pads in Balakot in Pakistan.

The strikes were undertaken days after 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in a terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14.