Stone throwing incidents in J&K are on a decline, said Union Minister G Kishan Reddy. (File)

The government today informed the Lok Sabha that as many as 765 persons have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, the day the special status of the state was removed. This is the first time the Ministry of Home Affairs have given an exact figure to parliament.

Most of these arrested are trouble makers and are involved in stone-throwing, the government said. The Home Ministry also said that the government has adopted multi-pronged policies to check the menace of stone-throwing in Jammu and Kashmir.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said there was a decline in the incidents of stone-throwing.

"Since August 5, 2019 to November 15, 2019, 765 people have been arrested in 190 cases registered relating to stone pelting/law and order. From January 1, 2019 to August 4, 2019, 361 such cases were registered," the minister said, replying to a written question in Lok Sabha.

Mr Reddy said the government had succeeded in curbing stone-throwing 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 stonepelting in the Kashmir valley. The NIA has chargesheeted 18 persons in terror-funding cases so far," he said.

Replying to another question, Mr Reddy said the Jammu and Kashmir administration had informed that a total of 34,10,219 tourists, including 12,934 foreigners, visited Jammu and Kashmir in the last six months and an income of Rs 25.12 crore was earned through tourism during this period.

The minister said after the abrogation of Article 370, initially, attendance of students was thin in the schools of Jammu and Kashmir, which gradually picked up and at present, stood at 99.7 per cent during the ongoing examination.

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