Srinagar, May 31 – Strongly condemning the increasing number of civilian killings, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti has said that the unfortunate incident in Shopian in which two young women were reportedly rapped and murdered has once again highlights the urgent need for a drastic reorientation of security setup in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, issued here today, the PDP president said that alarming increase in such incidents has created a sense of terror among the people of the state, who have been left at the mercy of God by the people at the helm of affairs. “Such happenings can not be prevented by half measures like inquiries or administrative actions but calls for withdrawal of ASFPA and reduction in troops on internal security”, she said.
Mehbooba said that the repeated recurrence of such gory incidents since the installation of the present government has the potential of undoing the entire progress in addressing the alienation of people in the state.
Unfortunately, she said, the present government has resorted to forceful method of curbing the genuine and legitimate voices of people across the state by subjecting them to lathicharge, teargas shelling and booking people in false and frivolous cases. “In the rural areas people are being asked to make regular attendance at the police stations which is only a testimony that the National Conference is pushing the state back to the era of terror and insecurity”.
PDP government, she said, had instilled a feeling of confidence among the people that there was a government that cares for their life and property. “Unfortunately this feeling is fast disappearing now forcing the people to come out on streets to register their anger”.
While it is the prime responsibility of every democratic institution to ensure safety of the people, the elected government has a moral duty towards the people and the state. “The failure of the government to discharge its constitutional and moral obligation only leads to sense of insecurity and alienation”, she said adding, “While the people of Jammu and Kashmir were living under fear and threat the people in power were busy in shining their political fortune”.
Mehbooba said that while the government may order any number of enquiries into incident like Bumai, Khaigam, Kupwara, Bandipor and now Shopian it will fail to revive the confidence among the people as the trust deficit between the society and the government agencies is increasing with every such incidents.
She said the inquiries have proved to be insufficient response as no one has so far been known to have received punishment. If any punishment has been meted out to the erring members of the security forces the government must come out with details, she said adding otherwise the government needs to admit its failure.
Mehbooba said that the women have unfortunately been the most venerable section of the society throughout the last two decades. The gruesome murder of two young women after alleged rape has once again proved that the government assurances to provide security to them are observed only in breach.
She reiterated that her party stands for the safety and security of the citizens is unshakable and it would never compromise on it. She said that the party would use all its resources for a peaceful struggle to revive the civil society institution in the state and reduce interference of security forces in internal security matters.
She said that the people have shown in the past elections that they are for peaceful and civilized method of struggle and there is no need now for the heavy presence of the security forces in the state. It would be in the interest of the country that the state and the security forces themselves that they are relieved from the burden of internal security and day today policing. “Policing should be left to the police and for that it needs to be strengthen”, she said adding that much has been talked and promised to the people during the elections and now it is time for the government to deliver on the ground.
On the other hand Senior National Conference leader and Minister for Finance and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather has lambasted People’s Democratic Party for trying to extract political mileage out of the mysterious death of two women in Shopian district.
In a statement, Mr. Rather said that the PDP has mastered in politics of opportunism and distraught by the drubbing it received both in Assembly and Parliamentary elections recently, it was now exploiting the sentiments of people and trying to capitalise on human sufferings by pushing them to violence and unrest in the already-surcharged situation in Shopian. He said the PDP would go to any extent to remain relevant in the political arena of the State and urged the people not to play into its hands.
Reacting to the unfortunate incident at Shopian, the Minister said that the government was committed to bring the truth to the fore and investigation was on to locate the cause and circumstances of the death of the two women. He said if it was proved to be a murder, the culprits would be handed down exemplary punishment. He said there was no ambiguity in the commitment of the National Conference-led State government to the human rights and violations of human rights would not be countenanced.
Mr. Rather said that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has made it amply clear that he was the last person to tolerate human rights violations. He said that his government has shown in the cases of Bomai and Khaigam that it fully matches it words with action so far as human rights violations were concerned.
Expressing deep sympathy with the bereaved family, Mr. Rather said National Conference and its entire rank and file share its grief and sorrow and stand solidly behind the unfortunate family.
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