Condemning registration of a case against party leaders including a former legislator, Peoples Democratic Party Chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Saturday flayed Centre and state for its plans to arm civilians in sensitive Chenab Valley saying that such attempt will set a dangerous trend.
“Reports about administration trying to arm civilians underthe garb of creating Village Defence Committees in Chenab Valley are disturbingand alarming especially at the time when the government has to be inclusive toavoid further alienation of youth across the state”, Ms Mufti said in astatement here today.
She said that the similar experiments of arming civiliansunder anti-militancy grid in nineties led to the complete chaos and the woundsinflicted unpon the general masses due to such move are still fresh. “Incommunally sensitive areas like Chenab Valley the plans are fraught with onlydangerous consequences”, she said. “The union government recently had plannedto windup all such defence committees but suddenly taking a U-turn not onlysuch committees are being strengthened but even fresh arms being were issued,that too to the people with a particular political ideology”.
The PDP president further condemned registration of a “falseand frivolous” FIR against the party leaders including its former legislator andsenior leader Firdous Tak and Youth District President Kishtwar Wasil Doolwalfor seeking immediate roll back of such plans. “The party leaders haverepresented the sentiments and aspirations of the people but it seems that thelocal administration was working under pressure from a particular politicalorganisation. The registration of the case only speaks about the sorry state ofaffairs in Chenab Valley”.