New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS): Union Minister Anurag Thakur said on Monday that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir had been contained since 2014 due to surgical strikes and other strict steps taken by the Modi government.

Thakur, while addressing the media, said that a reduction of 168 per cent was recorded in the incidents of terrorism and claimed that there was a decline of 80 per cent in the extremist violence in northeast.

Referring to the banning of the PFI, Thakur claimed that strict action by the government against such radical organisations would continue.

The Union Minister criticised Pakistan for supporting terrorists and openly speaking in favour of terrorism.

Thakur claimed that along with internal security, peace had been established in the states of J&K and northeast with massive development in infrastructure.

Thakur claimed that the conviction rate in cases of terror financing had increased to 94 per cent.

Holding the Congress responsible for the situation in the northeastern states, Thakur said that the party worked on the Look East policy but kept development projects at bay for decades.

He added that the said projects which had been pending for 50 years were being completed by the ruling government, and called basic infrastructure a gift of the Modi-led government.

Thakur claimed that 6,000 militants had surrendered since 2014, with the rate of civilian casualties coming down by 89 per cent.

He added that incidents of Maoism had decreased by 265 per cent.