34 minority killings in Jammu and Kashmir since 2017, MHA tells Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday informed that the killings of people belonging to the minority communities in Jammu and Kashmir was at its peak in 2021 with 11 deaths in different terrorist attacks.

As per the data, a total of 11 people from the minority communities were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017 followed by three killings in 2018, six in 2019, three in 2020 and 11 in 2021.

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai shared the data in the Rajya Sabha while responding to a question in a written reply, mentioning the killing of 34 persons belonging to minority communities, who lost their lives in the terrorist-related incidents in J-K between 2017 and 2021.

Asked about the measures taken by the government to ensure the safety of minorities in the Valley, Rai said, “The government has taken several measures to ensure the safety of minorities in the valley”.

“These include a robust security and intelligence grid, group security in the form of static guards, day and night area domination, round the clock checking at Nakas while patrolling is being carried out in the areas where the minorities reside besides proactive operations against terrorists,” he added.

Besides this, the Union Minister said an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh is given under the Central scheme for assistance to civilian victims, family of victims of terrorist attacks, the LWE (Left Wing Extremism) violence and cross-border firing and mine, IED blasts on Indian territory.

In addition, Rai said Rs 1 lakh is paid to the next of kin of civilians killed in militancy-related violence under the existing scheme of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.

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