Before PM Modi era definition of democracy in Kashmir was three families, 87 MLAs, 6 MPs: Amit Shah

Srinagar, Oct 05: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah Wednesday said earlier the meaning of democracy in Kashmir was restricted within the three families, 87 MLAs, 6 MPs, adding contrarily Prime Minister Narendra Modi took democracy to grass-root level.
Union Minister Amit Shah said this after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of 240 development projects of about Rs. 2,000 crore in Srinagar.
“Earlier, the three families who used to rule in the region hardly worked for the development of the region,” he said. The Minister added that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed a huge task of ensuring that democracy reaches every village of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Earlier, the meaning of democracy in Kashmir was restricted within the three families, 87 MLAs and 6 MPs, but after August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has connected 30,000 people with democracy by taking it to the level of Panch, Sarpanch, BDC and Zilla Panchayat of the village,” Union Minister Shah said.
Amit Shah added, earlier the Kashmir region was a “terrorist hotspot but now it has become a tourist hotspot.”
Amit Shah said, “Earlier, a maximum of six lakh tourists used to visit the Kashmir Valley every year, whereas this year alone till now, 22 lakh tourists have visited the region, giving employment to thousands of youth, and this process will be further strengthened.
Amit Shah said that earlier stones and guns were given in the hands of the youth of the Valley, but now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has replaced them with mobiles and laptops and provided employment to the youth by setting up industries in the region.
The Union Home Minister said that terrorism has not led to any good in the world.
“From 1990 till today, 42,000 people of Jammu and Kashmir have succumbed to terrorism,” Shah said.
He added that now terrorism is slowly being weeded out.
The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said that during the rule of three families, the budget of Jammu and Kashmir was merely Rs. 132 crore, while in 2022-23, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi the budget has been increased from Rs. 132 crore to Rs. 1,515 crore. Rs.10 crore have been allotted separately for DDC and PDC.