Early Times Report
NEW DELHI, May 22: A day after a Union Minister said that the continued incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir despite the Centre putting in place a ceasefire have exposed terrorists and their sympathisers, the state's top cop gave a different take on it.
DGP SP Vaid tweeted on Tuesday that the ceasefire has been successful thus far. "The initiative of e PM has helped in general improvement in law & order. The situation especially in south Kashmir has eased and is serving as confidence building measure for families who want their boys to return back home," he wrote.
The differing opinions of the Minister and the DGP stem from the different figures of clashes and violence given by central government forces like the CRPF and the state police since the start of the Ramzan ceasefire.
According to CRPF figures , from May 17 to May 20, 21 incidents of stone pelting were reported in the Valley, injuring three CRPF personnel and damaging 28 vehicles. However, the J&K Police said only six incidents of violence had been reported during the said period.
"The Ramzan ceasefire has to be contextualized. Between April 1 and 5 this year, there were 92 incidents of stone pelting; comparatively, there have been only six since the ceasefire," the DGP said.
The Union Minister had however told that the continued incidents of stone pelting, violence, etc expose separatists who are egging the stone pelters on. "It shows people who follow Islam do not have any conviction to follow the tenets of Quran, the sanctity of Ramzan and therefore I am proud that forces are taking retaliatory measures. Then you can't blame our forces," the Minister said.
But sources in the Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the figures have to be seen in proper context.
"May 21 is a test case to see if the ceasefire is working. Every year violence erupts on this day when death anniversary of Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz is commemorated. This year May 21 was peaceful. Even the PM's visit went off peacefully," a top J&K police officer said.
Rebutting arguments that the ceasefire will help terrorists regroup, J&K police officials said that 4 LeT terrorists were killed on the May 19. Data released by CRPF showed that in the month of Ramzan violence usually goes down in the Valley. |
