SRINAGAR Governor Satya Pal Malik said on Monday that National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have realised their mistake of not participating in the municipal polls and will be taking part in the panchayat elections.
He said state administration will try to create an atmosphere for holding talks with stakeholders in the next four to six months.
He claimed that stone-pelting and militancy-related incidents have come down in the state.
“I carry a mandate of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi to reach out to the people, make yourself available to them, do their work, ensure development of the state and create an atmosphere in which talks can be held,” Malik told reporters here.
“Stone-pelting and militancy-related incidents have stopped. The civic polls were also held peacefully. Our policy is bringing us good results,” he said.
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Asked whether he had failed to bring two regional political parties — the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) — on board for holding the civic polls in the state, he said they have realised their mistake and will be taking part in the panchayat polls.
He said that the number of youths joining militancy in the state has come down drastically.
“In (the past) three months, only one boy has joined militancy. No other person has joined the militant ranks during this period,” he said after the Guard of Honour at the Civil Secretariat, Jammu, which reopened on Monday after a 10-day break owing to the bi-annual ‘Darbar Move’.
Till July 20, as many as 87 local youths had joined militancy in the state, according to Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir.
“Eighty-seven youths have joined militancy in 2018 (till July 20) in the four districts of south Kashmir — Anantnag (14), Pulwama (35), Shopian (23), Kulgam (15),” he had said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
A high number of 127 young men joined militancy in 2017, a record since 2010, officials said.
In 2016, 88 Kashmiri youths joined militancy, they said.
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