Jammu, June 12 : Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism as the core of the government’s approach, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said incidents like the Kathua terror attack indicate terrorism has entered its last phase and terrorists are at their wit’s end.

“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,” Dr Singh told media persons here.

Earlier, he visited the injured civilian Om Prakash who underwent successful orthopaedic surgery in Kathua GMC Hospital. The minister also consoled the family members of the deceassed Kamaljieet Sharma,

The Union Minister said the terrorists, desperate following the pressure exerted by security forces in the Kashmir Valley, are on the run and are trying to shift the focus of their activities to the Jammu region. But the terrorist designs to shift focus to the Jammu region will not succeed, he said.

Dr Singh said the basic difference that 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.

He said this entire region including the Hiranagar sector where this incident has taken place is inhabited by people who are nationalists 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 movements of the suspected 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.

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 a further deterrent against any possible future terror activities.

The VDGs (Village Defence Groups), said Dr 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 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 will take 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.

Dr Singh also appreciated the administration and the medical staff of GMC Kathua for having carried out timely and successful orthopaedic surgery on the left humerus of Omprakash who is completely out of danger.

UNI