Vowing to give a befitting reply to any attempt to break the country, Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said separatist movement and terrorism will not be tolerated in Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that India wants peace, but not with those who do not respect its borders.

Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on extension of President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir by six months beginning July 3, he said the Modi government has “zero tolerance” to terrorism and central agencies such as NIA and tax department are working to choke separatist financing in the state.Shah advocated a new thinking to solve the Kashmir saying the approach of the past 70 years hasn’t yielded any result.

“We want development in the Valley. But we will not tolerate any separatist movement and terrorism. Terrorists who do not want to join with India have no place in the government’s scheme of things. They will face severe action and difficulties,” he said.

The Modi government’s policy is to protect Kashmiri traditions, he said adding his government reopened schools, provided cooking gas, built toilets and provided electricity during President’s rule in the state.

Facing flak from opposition for not holding assembly elections in the state alongside the recently concluded general elections, Shah said security agencies had expressed inability to provide security cover to all candidates.

The Modi government will hold polls the moment Election Commission says it is ready to elections, he said after the opposition parties batted for early assembly polls during the debate.

Shah said the Modi government struck at the heart of terrorist training when it carried out surgical and air strikes across the border after the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks.

He blamed the Kashmir problem to the ceasefire by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru when one-third of the state was still in Pakistani occupation and said “historical blunders” will always be debated.

He went on to ask why Nehru government went to the United Nations despite Kashmir’s assession to India and agree to hold plebiscite “that is in any case out of question today”.

On reference made by opposition parties to the National Register for Citizenship, the Home Minister said the Modi government is clear that infiltration must be curbed and infiltrators must be identified and sent out.A citizenship bill will be brought to give Indian citizenship to Hindus coming from neighbouring nations, he said.