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| Police ready to tackle violence during PDP's protests | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 25: While the PDP has finalised its programme of staging mass demonstrations at all district headquarters on Monday the police have taken in hand measures for preventing anti-Government and anti-social elements from kicking up violence during the protest rallies.
Field reports said that following the Saturday's incident in which one person was killed and four others were wounded in Keller village of Shopian district when the troops opened fire the PDP's mass demonstrations are likely to receive good response from the people, especially in south Kashmir. The PDP has decided to launch the mass movement for the revocation of the AFSPA, for the reduction of troops, release of the detainees and the resumption of the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan. The Shopian incident is bound to provoke people to take to the streets demanding withdrawal of troops from within the civilian areas.
A senior police officer said that the mass movement plan of the PDP will remain under the ambit of the routine law and order operations. He said that any attempt at kicking up violence will be dealt with a heavy hand.
He said that "we have ordered additional deployment of security forces in various district headquarters so that no vested interest was allowed to destabilise peace."He said that "we are not yet sure whether the PDP's mass movement will evoke good response from the people and if the support was there we shall ensure that no agency was able to create disturbances."
The state Government circles said that so long the PDP's mass demonstrations remained peaceful there was no need for police to swing into action. They said once there were disturbances the security forces have been directed to deal with he protesters firmly.
Sources made it clear that the Government was against suppressing any legitimate opposition activity so long these activities remain within the limits of constitution. At the same time the PDP circles believe that they will receive tremendous people's support for the movement because majority of Kashmiris are sick of human rights violations being committed by the security forces, especially by the troops. The PDP leaders say that the Shopian incident has lent support and strength to "our demand for the revocation of the AFSPA and the reduction of troops."
On the other hand senior National Conference leaders said that the main purpose of the mass movement was to help the PDP leadership to regain the ground it had lost during the last five years. They said when the coalition Government was headed by Mufti Mohd Sayeed between 2002 and 2005 there were incidents of human rights violations but the Mufti, when in power, had never demanded withdrawal of troops and the revocation of the AFSPA.
Whatever may have been the purpose behind launching the movement both the ruling coalition leaders and the police keep their fingers crossed because they are yet unsure of the turn the situation may take during the mass protests.
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