Srinagar,
The Centre has made the decision to withdraw stone-throwing cases against minors in the Valley, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, while asking youth to shun the ‘path of destruction’.

Rajnath said he saw a ray of hope in the youth which was possible by their active participation in sports activities, besides studies. He announced huge sops for sports infrastructure development in the state.

“As far as the question of our children is concerned, I want to say that children are children. Anybody can mislead them but we understand the reality. Those who had been misled, those children…(for) who had intentionally or unintentionally committed the mistake…we made the decision to withdraw the cases of stone-pelting,” Rajnath, who is on a two-day visit to the state, said while addressing sportspersons and youth at the SK Indoor Sports Stadium here.

Even as the Union Home Ministry had late last year ordered withdrawal of cases against youths involved in stone-throwing, the Valley witnessed more street protests this year.

The Home Minister urged the youth to choose the ‘path of development’ like their counterparts in the country. “Umeed ka ujala (a ray of hope) can happen only with ‘karamat’ (miracle) of sports and power of education,” he said.

Asking the youth to choose ‘taraqi’ (development) and not ‘tabahi’ (destruction), Rajnath said: “If you choose development, the state will develop. Please join this development chain and herald in a new dawn in J&K.”