Massive exercise for police & security forces who ensured the most peaceful elections in J&a

Srinagar(J&K) -Director General of J&K Police, Kuldeep  Khoda said conduct of the Assembly elections in the Jammu and Kashmir State was a massive exercise for police and other security forces who ensured one of the most peaceful elections in the State so far.

"We had to provide security to a record number of candidates and their campaign as well while dignitaries from other parts of the State were also well protected during the electioneering," he said.

While addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Sunday evening he said, the success of security forces against the militants during the election period had resulted in increase in voter turnout.

"46 militants and commanders, some of them very prominent, were killed during the election and it was noticed that the voter turnout in these areas, where they were operating, improved after the militants were killed," he added.

The DGP said while 48 office bearers and political leaders including a Minister were killed during campaigning in 2002 elections, there was no such killing in this year’s polls, although seven civilians and six security force personnel were killed during the electioneering process.

On the agitations in Jammu and Kashmir regions over the Amarnath Land Transfer row, he said there was an attempt to vitiate the centuries-old peace and brotherhood on an issue which has all along remained a bond of trust and integration and a shining example of the State’s pluralistic ethos.

"The Jammu and Kashmir police rose to the occasion and succeeded in restoring peace in the State but some precious lives – 42 in Kashmir and nine in Jammu — were lost. By and large people were appreciative of the way police tackled the sensitive situation," he said.

Khoda blamed miscreants for inciting the people during the agitation which led to avoidable use of force in order to prevent loss of life and property by unruly mobs.

"As man as 333 police and paramilitary personnel were injured (while dealing with agitators) in both the regions," he said.

The police chief said the situation in the State had improved considerably since last year as the number of militancy-related incidents came down to three digits for the first time since eruption of turmoil.

"We had less than 700 militancy related incidents during the current year which is a 40 per cent drop compared to the number of incidents that have taken place last year," he said.

"The number of civilians killed in militancy related incidents this year was just 89 which is below the three digit figure for the first time as well. Last year 164 civilians were killed while the highest number of civilians killed in such incidents was in 1996 when 1413 persons lost their lives," he said.

Khoda said security forces were successful in eliminating 102 top ranking commanders or militants in the State during the current year while the casualties among the security forces dropped considerably.

"As many as 85 security forces personnel laid down their lives while combating militancy in the State in 2008 while 685 were killed in 2001 which was the highest since 1990," he added.

The DGP said the human rights record was almost unblemished barring the recent custodial killing in Shopian district. "There were four custodial deaths last year compared to just one this year. We were heading for zero custodial deaths this year but there was one in Shopian recently," he said.

Khoda, while highlighting the zero tolerance for human rights violations, said a case of murder has been registered against the guilty Army personnel in the Shopian case.