Days after killing of a BJP leader in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the Jammu & Kashmir government on Wednesday ordered a high-level probe into all attacks on political functionaries since October last year. The government also announced slew of measures to ensure protection of mainstream leaders and activists in Kashmir.
After chairing a high-level security management meetinghere, Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik, decided to reach-out tomainstream leaders to address their security concerns.
The Governor Malik, according to an official spokesman, saidthat he would be inviting the leaders of different political parties to discusstheir security concerns to create a “secure political environment for one andall.”
The Governor, he said, also stated that leaders of differentpolitical parties and other organisations should raise their security concernswith the security headquarters of J&K Police and “the due diligence ofthreat perception would be carried out by the intelligence agencies beforearriving at a decision on the provision of personal security to persons with aperceived threat,” the Governor said.
On the directions of the Governor, the state government alsoordered a high-level enquiry into all attacks that have taken place sinceOctober, 2018. Additional Director General of Police, Muneer Ahmad Khan, hasbeen appointed as the enquiry officer.
The official spokesman said the probe has been ordered witha view to ensure that all possiblemeasures, general as well as specific, are taken for security of politicalworkers to enable them to continue their political activities, particularly inview of the militant attacks on them inthe recent past.
The enquiry officer has been asked to submit his report,covering all the relevant aspects, along with appropriate recommendationswithin 15 days.
Among other measures, the Government has also decided toprovide secure accommodation to elected representatives of Panchayats and UrbanLocal Bodies. “Keeping in view the threats issued by militant organisationsduring the elections to ULBs and Panchayats and the heightened risk faced byelected sarpanchs, councilors, mayors/ presidents. It was decided that in caseany of them requires safe accommodation, they will be provided a secure roomeither at the state or district level. This decision will come into effectimmediately and the Divisional Commissioners and Inspector Generals (IGs) wouldoperationalise this after contacting the sarpanchs and ULB members,” thespokesman said.
Speaking during the meeting , the Governor expressed concernover the killings of political functionaries of various political parties inthe state during the past few months and stressed the need for ensuring safetyof protected persons. He advised security agencies to give due consideration togenuine apprehensions of political activists working at the grass root level.
“The Governor reiterated the need to constantly maintain aclose watch on the ground situation and underlined the importance of sustained effortsto bring peace and harmony in the society for the overall benefit of people,”the spokesman said.
The meeting was attended by Governor’s Advisor K VijayKumar, Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, Director General of Police, DilbagSingh, Governor’s Principal Secretary, Umang Narula, Principal Secretary Home,Shaleen Kabra, ADGP Security, L&O and Home Guards, Muneer Ahmed Khan andInspector General of Police-Kashmir range, S P Pani. It may be recalled that during the past fewmonths, unidentified gunmen have targeted mainstream leaders and activists inthe Valley. In a latest attack the BJP’sdistrict vice-president for Anantnag, Gul Muhammad Mir was killed in southKashmir. The state BJP alleged that withdrawal of security cover led to hiskilling.