TC Web Desk
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Rajya Sabha on July 27 that no Kashmiri pandits had left the valley in 2022.
After the targeted killings of members of the minority community in April and May this year, many Pandits fled to Jammu fearing for their safety.
Responding to a question from member Javed Ali Khan, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that “As per the records, no Kashmiri Pandit has left the Kashmir Valley during the year 2022.” He said the number of Kashmiri Pandits still living in the valley was 6,514 and in 2019 the number was 6,432.
In another response, the Minister said that Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was repealed by Parliament in August 2019, “nine government employees (excluding security forces) including one Kashmiri Pandit have lost their lives in terror-related incidents in J&K.”
He said the government has a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly. “Terrorist attacks have decreased significantly, from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021,” he said.
“As per the information provided by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, no Kashmiri Pandit working under the Prime Minister’s Development Package has resigned in protest against the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit in Kashmir Valley,” Rai said replying to a written question.
Rai also said 5,502 Kashmiri Pandits were provided government jobs in different departments of the Jammu and Kashmir administration in the Kashmir Valley under the PMDP.
