Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G. Kishan Reddy on November 15, 2019, specking on the abrogation of Article 370 at the 14th Security Leadership Summit 2019 organized by Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and Association of Private Detectives and Investigators (APDI) said that the government aims to run on “one nation, one constitution, one mission” policy.
Abrogation of Article 370
Talking on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, the minister said that many people are raising questions as to why Section 144 was imposed by the government in infringement to their Fundamental Rights.
“Through this summit, I want to tell all those people that the government is under the responsibility to check the security of the nation. To make sure that there is no lathi charge, no tear gas, no firing, no bloodshed and no loss of lives in the nation. With this responsibility in hand, the government imposed Section 144,” the minister said.
Highlighting the fact that from 1990 till 2019 total 42450 people have lost their lives in Jammu & Kashmir, Reddy said that the “intellectuals never talk about the Fundamental Rights of these 42450 people. They never talk about the Fundamental Rights of the soldiers who died in the Pulwama attack and the Pathankot attack.”
He said that “in 70 years, Article 370 has only given Jammu & Kashmir people terrorism, separatism, stone pelting, tear gas and bloodshed. There was no SC/ST or women reservation in the state in the last 70 years. Moreover, there were no women property rights.”
“On August 1, 2019, in a village in Srinagar, a 9-year-old girl was married because in the state there was no Child Marriage Act. Because of Article 370, all the Acts passed by the Parliament have no application in the state of Jammu & Kashmir,” the minister said shedding more light on the Government’s move to abrogate the controversial article.
Reddy further said that “in 70 years, the Comptroller and Auditor General in India have not audited the accounts of the state. No one knows where crores of rupees have been spent.”
Ayodhya Judgment
Speaking on the Ayodhya Judgment passed by the Supreme Court on November 9, 2019, Reddy said that the apex court has solved the problem which was in existence for 400 years.
Thanking the Supreme Court for settling the issue, the minister also thanked the Muslim community for welcoming the significant judgment.
“Today all the people – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh are working together for the development of this nation. There is no place of separatism in the country now,” the minister said.
Private Security Agencies
Talking on the topic of security, Reddy said that the “people working in the internal security have the utmost responsibility to provide security to the people. Police cannot provide security everywhere but people working in the private security agencies can.”
He said that “our Prime Minister is the first chowkidar. We believe that our government is of chowkidars’ and that’s why we respect the chowkidars’ a lot.”
After Agriculture sector one of the largest employment generating sector is private security industry, he said adding that “I believe that in the coming time the employment in this sector will be up by 2 crores.”
The minister saluted all the members of the private security agencies for ensuring smooth and peaceful functioning of the nation. Calling them the real chowkidars, the minister mooted the idea of instituting ‘PM Best Chowkidar’ award for deserving private security personnel.
“The ‘PM Best Chowkidar’ awards covering various facets of the private security industry will be a befitting tribute to honest and hard-working ‘chowkidars’ who are playing an important role in India’s growth and progress. This way we can honour them for their contribution to the nation,” Reddy said.
Ending his speech, he said that
“this government is workers as well as management friendly. We practice zero tolerance on terrorism and corruption. The doors of the Home Ministry and the Labour Ministry are open for the private security industry for 365 days. Whatever suggestions are provided, the government will have a discussion on it.”
