Srinagar, Dec 22: Claiming that there has been considerable improvement in law order situation in Kashmir, the Inspector General of police, Kashmir range, SM Sahai  on Wednesday said that nobody would be allowed to take people hostage by using stones and guns.
 Sahai, while speaking at a seminar “Youth, media and democracy” held here said that people would be allowed to offer Namaaz at Jamia Masjid on Fridays. However, he said authorities would not allow the Masjid to be used for political purpose.
 Apart from SM Sahai, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Mehraj- ud-din Kakroo,  Director General CRPF P K Singh, DIG north Kashmir Muneer Ahmad Khan, SSP Srinagar Ashiq Hussain Bukhari and Vice-Chancellor University of Kashmir Riyaz Panjabi were among the speakers who opined there views during reply to volley of questions from students in the seminar organized by All India Centre for Urban and Rural Development, and sponsored by CRPF.
  The IGP said the situation was radically improving in the valley and police, administration and government were coordinating with each other to make lives of people safe.
 On arrests of youth, Sahai said the detention of accused have led to improvement in law and order situation. He said among the detained people, nobody among them was student and that they were creating fear among people to resume their normal activities.
 “Miscreants only created law and order problem,” he said. “There was no student who was arrested and booked under PSA”.
 He said the protesters targeted school buses and prevented students from entering the schools.
  Sahai said in the past three years students have suffered the most and that was the reason why people were now sending their children outside the state for education.   
 During the seminar, predominantly comprising of young students, the panelists had to face many queries pertaining to the recent 6-month agitation and government response to it.
 “There have been many incidents where use of excessive force led to loss of life,” SM Sahai said after a query was raised. He was quick to add, “We apologize for the incidents and the killings that occurred.”
 Asked by a student that why Mirwaiz has been prevented from offering Friday prayers in Jamia Masjid and about often repeated curfew in the old city, Sahai said the authorities had no problem if Masjid was used for religious purposes.
 “Then we would not have imposed curfew,” he said. “But people use it for political benefits. They stage protests after the prayers are over and thus create law and order problem.  The same happened when recently after Eid prayers, a protest march to Lal Chowk resorted to arson and damaging of public property”.
 A girl while referring to north Kashmir’s Palhallan area said that police and other force personnel had unleashed terror in the village following their participation in the pro-freedom demonstrations. She said entire Palhallan area which has seen large number of killings during the recent unrest is on the run fearing arrests. She also pointed that why  a 7-year old kid was killed when he was not a “terrorist.”
 Responding to it, the IGP replied, “You are romanticizing the situation. The observation is not real on the ground”.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 IST