Govt Says Law & Order Improved In J&K After Article 370 Move, But Stone-Pelting Cases Show Otherwise

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that the law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley has improved since August 5 when the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed by Parliament revoking the erstwhile state’s special status and bifurcating it into Union Territories. However, the supporting data released does not bolster the claim. When BJP MP Kanakmal Katara asked if incidents of stone pelting have gone down, Minister of State (MOS) G Kishen Reddy replied in the affirmative, but the subsequent data appears contradictory.

“Since August 5, 2019, to November 15, 2019, 765 people have been arrested in 190 cases registered relating to stone pelting/law and order,” said the MHA’s written reply. “From January 1, 2019, to August 4, 2019, 361 such cases were registered.” The reply did not mention how many people were arrested for stone pelting before the government’s move to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5. Government officials said the number of stone pelting incidents are far fewer than ones reported in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s death in 2016.