Stone-throwing incidents down by 87.13%, says J&K Police chief

Jammu, January 2

There was a 87.13 per cent dip in incidents of stone-throwing last year as compared to 2019 in J&K, according to Director General of Police Dilbag Singh.

In 2019, there were 1,999 incidents of stone-throwing, of which 1,193 took place after the Centre announced abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir that year in August. “There have been 255 stone-throwing incidents in 2020 as compared to the incidents in 2019 and 2020. There has been 87.31 per cent decline in such incidents,” the DGP said.

The Centre on August 5, 2019, revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state, and divided it into union territories of J&K and Ladakh.

In 2018 and 2017, 1,458, and 1,412 incidents of stone-pelting were reported.

When compared to 2016, the dip in such incidents in 2020 was 90 per cent, according to officials.

Resolve to consolidate peace

Our resolve for 2021 is strengthening and consolidating peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. —Dilbag Singh, J&K DGP

In 2016, 2,653 stone-throwing cases were reported as the killing of Burhan Wani, a commander of the terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen, had triggered violent protests across Kashmir.

In 2015, 730 incidents took place in Jammu and Kashmir.

After the decline in militancy in the mid-2000s, stones became a popular choice of weapon during protests. This trend has been there since the 2008 Amarnath-land row agitation in Jammu and Kashmir.

A top commander of the Army had then termed stone-throwing “agitational terrorism” for targeting security forces and the police, who in turn could not use the gun on stone-pelters. — PTI