Junior federal Minister of Home G Kishan Reddy has said there was a decline in the incidents of stone-pelting since August 5, when the Centre announced abrogation of the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.

The Home Ministry on Tuesday said security forces had arrested 765 people in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution for their alleged involvement in stone-pelting incidents and that the multi-pronged policies were adopted to check the menace. Reddy said the government had adopted multi-pronged policies to check the stone-pelting menace. Reddy claimed that measures taken post-August 5 had succeeded in curbing hazard to the extent that a large number of troublemakers, instigators and mob mobilisers were identified and various preventive measures taken against them, including detention under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) and preventive arrests.

"Investigation has revealed that various separatist organisations and activists, which are part of the Hurriyat, have been behind the incidents of stone-pelting in the Kashmir Valley. The NIA has chargesheeted 18 persons in terror-funding cases so far," he said.

Replying to another question, Reddy said the Jammu and Kashmir administration had informed that a total of 3,410,219 tourists, including 12,934 foreigners, visited Jammu and Kashmir in the last six months and an income of Rs 251.2 million was earned through tourism during this period.

On a question related to the use of pellet guns since August 5, the minister said that pellet guns were used with abundant caution, only to deal with severe law-and-order problems to avoid civilian casualties.