Union minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said terrorists, desperate following the pressure by security forces in the Kashmir Valley, are trying to shift the focus of their activities to the Jammu region, but this will not be allowed to happen.

Dr Jitendra Singh visited the GMC hospital at Kathua where Om Prakash, a civilian who was injured in firing by terrorists underwent a successful orthopaedic surgery and also offered condolences to the family of Amarjeet Sharma, whose throat was slit suspectedly by terrorists a few days ago.

He told media persons that the basic difference which the sponsors of terrorism from across the border fail to understand is that they will never be able to get the ground support of the local population in this region if they have expected it to their advantage.

He said, this entire region including the Hiranagar sector where this incident has taken place is inhabited by the people who are nationalist and patriotic to the core and this was evident even during the present incident when the civilians stood by the security forces in not only providing decisive information about the movement of the terrorists but also helping the security forces to nab the terrorists in hiding.

Being a land of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, Dr Jitendra Singh said, people of this region have for several decades struggled against the anti-national forces in every form and therefore the terrorists and their sponsors should understand once and for all that the misadventure of seeking to sow the seeds of anti-India terrorism in this region will not only boomerang on them but also teach them a befitting lesson.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism as the basic mantra of government’s approach, Dr Jitendra Singh said such incidents are also an indication of terrorism having entered its last phase and terrorists finding themselves at their wit’s end.

He said, unlike the earlier governments, the government headed by PM Narendra Modi has proven to the world its ability to strike at the right moment and at the right place which was evident in the surgical strike and similar other decisive proactive operations which were undertaken in the last one decade and have contributed to the restoration of peace and normalcy in the Kashmir Valley.

Appreciating the coordination between the civil administration and the security forces, Dr Jitendra Singh said, certain important suggestions have been received today from the security experts which will be placed before the concerned authorities and which might serve as further deterrent for any possible future terror activities.

The VDGs (Village Defence Groups), said Dr Jitendra Singh, are in the process of being revived and made more effective. Security posts will also be set up wherever required, he said.

During his visit to the bereaved family of Amarjeet Sharma, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the family will be provided much more relief, assistance and help than is normally expected after such incidents. Moreover, he said, he, his supporters and the entire team of BJP takes up the responsibility of looking after the family members of the deceased and ensuring the smooth education of their children.

He said a proposal is being mooted to provide nursing jobs to one of the trained members of the family and similarly other members will also be taken care of.