18 April 2016

Mehbooba Messing Up Kashmir Situation, Pleasing Hardliners By Blaming Army

Swarajya Staff
April 13, 2016,
Mehbooba has sought a time bound probe into Handwara firing incident saying it will will act as a deterrent
Investigations have so far indicated that no army personnel has been involved in any sexual harassment case.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti could have met Prime Minister Narendra Modi under different set of circumstances. On Wednesday she met both Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar under the shadow of Handwara firing and loss of innocent lives in the firing.
Mehbooba, who is on her maiden visit after assuming post of Chief Minister, met Parrikar and Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu separately.
In her meeting with Parrikar, she sought a time bound probe saying it will act as a deterrent against such incidents in future.
Describing the firing incident as “very unfortunate”, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said, “I spoke to the Defence Minister. He assured me that a probe will be initiated and the culprits will be punished. “At the same time the family (of the victims) will be compensated. Such incidents should not happen in the future,” she said after meeting Parrikar.

Mehbooba is wrong in targeting the army even after getting a clear picture of the incident. Two young people, including a budding cricketer, and a woman were killed in Handwara when security forces opened fire to disperse a stone-pelting mob targeting their bunker. The incident took place after reports surfaced that some army personnel had allegedly molested a girl returning from school.
However, police investigations have so far indicated that no such incident had taken place. Army has ordered an inquiry while the police registered a criminal case and begun investigations into the incident which triggered more protests and had an echo in Srinagar and Pulwama districts of Kashmir as well.
Mehbooba had on Tuesday said the security personnel involved in the killing of two youths will be handed exemplary punishment, saying such incidents “cannot” be tolerated. Mehbooba also raised a number of other issues including the handing over certain portions of land not required by the Army to the State so that they can be used for promoting tourism and developing civic, educational and infrastructure facilities in the larger public interest.
She also took up the issue of concrete action by the Defence Ministry on the decisions taken into the civil-military liaison conference besides revision in the rates of rent to different categories of land held by the Army and revision of compensation provided to people affected by Field Firing and Artillery Practices.
These kind of statements are not going to build trust with the BJP at centre or at the state level. The incident in Handwara was instigated by the miscreants for removing an army bunker located within Handwara town.
Initially, an FIR against the army, which regretted the killing on Tuesday, was lodged in the Handwara police station, 70 km north of Srinagar, in the killings.Meanwhile, the Army has issued a statement in Srinagar with a video of the girl, who, according to locals, was misbehaved with by the security personnel, sparking protests. “In the video, the girl is denying any molestation by any army personnel at Handwara on 12 April 2016,” said the army spokesman.

The Army has verified the authenticity of the video and identity of the girl. “The girl says that she went to the nearby wash room along with her friend and suddenly a youth appeared before her and took her bag away. As per her statement in the video, the boy resisted her to come to nearby police station,” said the spokesman.

Now, besides the Army, the police’s role in the Handwara firing incident, which left three civilians killed, will be investigated.

Kupwara Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rajiv Ranjan, who has instituted a magisterial inquiry, said, “There are conflicting reports about who opened the fire. Some people say the police opened the fire and some say the army. It is a matter of investigation now.” Meanwhile, the J&K Police suspended an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) for opening fire on the mob in Handwara.

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