Infiltration remains last area of concern, local recruitment for terror groups just one this year
Srinagar, Aug 09 (KNO): Revealing that he couldn’t get proper sleep till three terrorists involved in April 22 Pahalgam terror attack were eliminated by the security forces, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Saturday reiterated that attack on tourists at Baisaran Valley that left 26 civilians, mostly tourists dead, was assault on India’s soul.
In an interview to national TV channel, LG Sinha, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said, "I could not sleep after April 22. It was an attack on India's soul. It was only after the three killers were eliminated that I got a sound sleep."
Asked why there was not a single policeman present in Baisaran Valley, where tourists were enjoying picnic with pizza sellers around, LG Sinha replied, "The person who provided ziplining and other leisures to tourists in Baisaran was a private player. Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation had not granted him any permission. He did not inform the administration and police that he had started this. For four years, there was peace and calm throughout Kashmir Valley, and several small tourist spots had sprung up."
On Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's remark that the Lieutenant Governor's failure in providing security to tourists put the nation on the brink of war, LG said, "If he has said this, I welcome it. But he must also say that for decades, Pakistan used to bring out a "strike calendar" for the Valley, and schools, colleges and markets used to remain closed for 132 days in a year. There were frequent incidents of stone pelting, and security personnel were being killed."
On Akhilesh Yadav's question why the three terrorists were killed on the day the Home Minister was to reply to the debate in Parliament, Manoj Sinha replied, "Unko maaloom nahin hoga (he may not know). The operation began on April 22 itself, and the directive was that the killers must not be allowed to flee from Kashmir at any cost. God (Ishwar) helps those whose 'neeyat' (intention) is good, and they had to die on that very day."
LG Sinha said that the tourist destinations that were closed after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack are being reopened gradually with increased security measures. However, Baisaran remained shut due to Amarnath Yatra and the lack of a road leading directly to the site.
He said that the perpetrators were Pakistani nationals, with the NIA currently handling the investigation.
Emphasising that foreign infiltration remains the last area of concern, Sinha noted that local recruitment for terror groups has drastically reduced, from 125–150 annually to just one this year.
He highlighted India's strong retaliatory stance through Operation Sindoor, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that any future terror attack will be treated as an act of war.
Reflecting on his five-year tenure, LG Sinha outlined achievements including restored law and order, the end of hartals, the resurgence of cinema and education, and record job transparency.
He noted that over 40,000 government jobs were provided, alongside major growth in the tourism and self-employment sectors. “Tourists are returning, and with four lakh Amarnath pilgrims expected, they will go back as our peace ambassadors,” LG Sinha said—(KNO)