Amid prevailing chaos, JK guv reviews situation

Amid prevailing chaotic situation in Kashmir, Governor Satya Pal Malik Sunday reviewed the current situation in the State, particularly in the context of the attack in Pulwama last week and the subsequent developments.

A Raj Bhavan spokesman said during the informal meeting of the State Administrative Council the governor was briefed about the current security situation in Jammu city after the lifting of the curfew a few days ago and also the restoration of normalcy in the place.

“He (Malik) was also informed of the situation in Kashmir and the gradual induction of additional Central Forces for election purposes,” he said.

“The governor was informed that general elections are imminent, and the requirement of additional security forces is large. During the Panchayat elections, over 400 additional companies of Central Forces were provided as a result of their efforts, the elections were conducted peacefully, without any incident,” the spokesman said.

After the Pulwama incident, the security concerns in this regard are much higher with the possibility of militant organisations increasing their activities against candidates and voters on a much larger scale, the meeting deliberated.

The governor appealed to the people that the induction of forces be seen only in the context of conducting elections and should not be attributed to any other cause. He appealed to the people not to believe in rumours of any extreme nature which are circulating widely in some quarters and to remain calm.

“These rumours are unnecessarily creating an atmosphere of fear in the minds of people, leading to stress and disruption to normal life. Rumours about curfews and other actions should not be believed. There is some security related action being taken by the forces, but this is purely related to the Pulwama attack which is unprecedented one. The response of security forces is guided solely by the need to counter both the impact and any further action that may be taken by militant groups who are still out to disrupt our country and its democratic processes,” he said.

The meeting was attended by governor’s advisors, Vijay Kumar, K K Sharma and K Skandan, besides B V R Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Umang Narula, Principal Secretary to Governor; R.K. Goyal and other senior officers.

On the issue of safety and security of Kashmiris residing outside the state, the governor clarified that the Prime Minister has given clear directions to the country yesterday. “The PM’s statement that there is no fight against Kashmiris but that it is a fight for Kashmir is a clear signal that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not only the integral part of India, but it is the responsibility of the country to take care of their safety wherever they may be,” he said.