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| Mehbooba demands open court trial of BSF Commandant | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 4: People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has hailed Union Home Minister P. Chidambram for responding positively to the sentiments of people and demanded that after the arrest of the BSF Commandant, he should take this to the logical conclusion. Speaking to media during a welcome ceremony to the leaders, who recently joined PDP, Mehbooba said, "I think, you know, Home minister has responded positively to the sentiments of the people and he has initiated a process. And we hope that it is taken to its logical conclusion and the person who is involved is tried in court of law," said Mehbooba Mufti. Demanding that the accused be tried in an open court instead of Court Martial, Mehbooba said, "People should know, you know finally the person has got punishment for what he has done. Whatever punishment he gets it should come to the knowledge of the people. So I would prefer that Home Minister takes it to the logical conclusion by allowing the normal courts to try this person rather than going for Court Martial, because we really don't know what happens to the Court Martials." R K Birdi, who was posted as a commandant of 68th battalion of Border Security Force (BSF), has been accused of killing Zahid Farooq, a teenager in Nishat near Srinagar on February 5. Meanwhile, in a fresh salvo against the National Conference led coalition, Mehbooba alleged that the "wrong" policies of ruling dispensation has "shattered" the faith of general masses in democratic set-up. "During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir in November, 2004, Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh had announced that situation had improved significantly in the State but this government has turned the situation back to the square. The National Conference is bent upon recreating the situation prior to 2002 in the state," she said. She alleged, "This government has become habitual in targeting PDP for every lapse to hide and divert the attentions of masses from its failure. The youth of the State have started feeling dejected as this government has failed to instill confidence among them." In reply to a question regarding proposed surrender policy, she claimed that it was the agenda of PDP and it was discussed in one of the Working Group constituted by the Prime Minister. "Instead of describing it as 'surrender policy', it should be named as home coming policy," the PDP president asserted.
She also strongly advocated withdrawal of security forces contending the number of militants had reduced drastically over the years that warranted reduction in presence of forces. On being asked about the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's allegation that PDP has created split in Hurriyat Conference, Mehbooba said, "It was during our regime that Hurriyat leaders were released from jails and they were allowed free movement in the State. But, this Government has done exactly opposite to it. The present dispensation has booked senior Hurriyat leaders." Earlier, senior Hurriyat leader (Shabir faction), Mohinder Singh Kotwal, R K Pardesi and H K Ganjoo along with their supporters joined the PDP.
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