Want him sacked, seek accountability for death of 50 soldiers in 32 months
A day after Jammu and Kashmir DGP RR Swain’s remark that regional outfits were “hobnobbing with terrorists for political gains”, mainstream political parties in the UT today united in their criticism of the police chief.
While PDP president Mehbooba Mufti demanded the DGP’s dismissal, the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Conference slammed the police chief’s comment as “inappropriate and insulting to the sacrifices made by their party workers”. Swain had claimed in Jammu on Monday that “Pakistan had infiltrated all aspects of civil society in J&K during the peak of militancy, and that regional parties had cultivated terror leaders for political benefits”.
Seeking accountability, Mufti also expressed concerns over the increasing casualties among young Army officers in the region. She accused the DGP of treating local people like “Pakistanis”. “Unfortunately, there is no accountability. By now, heads should have rolled. The DGP should have been sacked. In the past 32 months, nearly 50 soldiers have lost their lives,” Mufti said at a press conference in Srinagar.
Out to break PDP
The DGP is busy fixing things politically and militarising the police force. He is more into how to break the PDP and harass people. Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief
“The DGP is busy fixing things politically and militarising the police force. He is more into how to break the PDP and harass people…. Passport and verifications have been weaponised,” Mufti claimed. She said J&K has had DGPs from outside states in the past and “they had performed well”.
Mufti questioned who was stopping the security forces from acting against militants when the UT was run directly by the Union Government. “It’s not mine or former CM Omar Abdullah’s job to stop infiltration at the border,” she said. “For the last six years, the Centre has been running the government here. What have you done? The Hurriyat leadership has either died or is behind bars. But you have waged a war against your own people… you are fighting with your own people,” she said.
Leaders of other parties too condemned the DGP’s statement, urging him to “focus on his professional duties and avoid political commentary”.
“The DGP is talking more on politics and apparently wants to speak less on security matters. He needs to look professionally and control the situation in the Jammu region,” said Altaf Bukhari, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party chief.
The National Conference, while condemning the Doda attack, said the rise in attacks in the Jammu region was “worrisome”. “Only those who plan to engage in politics should give political statements. The National Conference doesn’t need anyone’s certificate,” said Nasir Aslam Wani, a senior party leader.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone said Swain’s comments “pertaining to mainstream parties were inappropriate, to say the least”. “Even in a basic democracy, such utterances by a serving police officer would not have been tolerated,” he wrote on X.
Ghulam Ahmad Mir, a senior Congress leader said, the Centre should provide answers about rising militancy as J&K was directly under its control.
