Security forces have arrested 765 people in Jammu and Kashmir in 190 cases related to "stone-pelting/ law and order" since the repeal of Article 370, the Home Ministry said on Tuesday. But a report has surfaced saying that, the data provided by the government shows a marginal increase in such incidents.
Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply that "765 persons have been arrested in 190 cases registered relating to stone pelting/ law and order" from August 5 to November 15 this year. He said that 361 such cases were registered from January 1 to August 4 this year. The minister said that the government has initiated multipronged policies to check the stone-pelting menace and has succeeded in curbing it to the extent.
According to Indian Express, These arrests don’t include those held in preventive detention under CrPC and the Public Safety Act (PSA) after August 5. While replying to to a written question by Rajasthan BJP MP Kanak Mal Katara on whether scrapping of J&K’s special status had led to a decrease in stone-pelting incidents, Reddy said: “Yes, sir.” However, analysis of the data shows that from January to August 4, there were about 50 incidents of stone-pelting or law and order issues on an average every month. This increased to an average of about 55 such incidents every month after August 5.
Sources in J&K told the Indian Express, that there were more than 400 detentions under PSA, while political leaders and party workers remained under house arrest or detention. These include former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
