Governor Satya Pal Malik Thursday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of a grenade blast in Jammu bus stand that left one person dead and more than 30 others injured.
An official spokesman said in a statement that Malik conveneda high-level meeting at the Raj Bhavan this evening and “reviewed the presentlaw and order situation in the state”.
The governor lauded Tejinder Singh, senior superintendent of police Jammu, Amrit Pal Singh, superintendent of police (north) and their colleagues for “swift action in apprehending the culprit”, the spokesman said. Condemning the grenade attack, the governor, according to the statement, described it as a “dastardly attack on innocent civilians” and said “this is an act of terrorism which is a reaction of anti-national and militant elements in the state who are losing their grip fast.”
“The governor observed that the government has come down hard on separatists since the Pulwama attack and has withdrawn security for the Hurriyat and 170 persons, banned Jamaat-e-Islami in J&K and has arrested all its leaders for engaging in unlawful activities,” the statement read, adding: “The governor noted that facing imminent defeat, these anti-national elements are targeting civilians and soft targets.
The act of throwing grenade on unsuspecting bus passengers is a cowardly attack by someone who cannot challenge the security forces.”
The governor expressedconcern that “innocent youngsters are being led to believe that sacrificingtheir lives will lead to paradise which they are gullibly believing.”
Asserting that political parties “which are coming out in support of banned organisations are making their position clear and are siding with separatists”, the governor said: “This only helps militancy become stronger.”
He said any party or person supporting separatists is “anti-national and is playing into the hands of militants and Pakistan.” “The war against terrorism and militancy is not going to be stopped at any cost and this is a battle that we will win and government will ensure that militancy is eradicated from the state,” the governor said.
He appealed to the people in the state to maintain peace, harmony and brotherhood. “People of J&K are known since times immemorial for upholding the values of mutual brotherhood and communal harmony,” he said.
The meeting was attended byK. Vijay Kumar, advisor to governor; B V R Subramanyam, chief secretary;ShaleenKabra, principal secretary Home; Dilbagh Singh, director general ofpolice; B. Srinivas, ADGP CID; Muneer Khan, ADGP (law and order); SanjeevVerma,divisional commissioner Jammu and M.K. Sinha, IGP Jammu.
“He (governor) conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and also wished speedy recovery to those injured,” the spokesman said. The governor directed the administration to provide best medical assistance to the injured and called upon all concerned agencies to ensure that “those responsible for this dreadful act are brought to justice and law and order is maintained in the state”.
The governor also announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 20,000 each to those injured in the “accident”, the statement read. Meanwhile, governor’s advisor K K Sharma strongly condemned the blast and expressed solidarity with the family of the person who was killed, an official spokesman said.
“These types of heinous crimes are a blot on humanity and human values,” Sharma said and prayed for early recovery of the injured. Advisors to governor, K Vijay Kumar and Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, condemned the grenade attack and, while expressing solidarity with the family of the person who was killed in the blast, prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul.
They also prayed for early recovery to the injured persons, an official spokesman said.