KL Report
Srinagar
Claiming that the current wave of protests in certain areas of valley was being sponsored from across the border, Director General of Police, Ashok Prasad hinted at possibility of a severe crack down on stone pelters apart from ‘separatists issuing protest calendars’. He said the government was likely to slap Public Safety Act (PSA) against hardcore separatist leaders ‘who are instigating people for protests and also the stone throwers’.
“We don’t deny the fact that every individual has the right to peaceful protests in a democracy, but that does not mean we should allow him to violate the constitutional rights and create law and order problems”, Director General Police Ashok Prasad told Srinagar based news agency KNS. He said driving people to hardships by issuing ‘reckless’ protest calendars can’t be tolerated anymore and those involved in such acts will have to face the music.
“We can’t allow anyone to put people to inconvenience”, the DGP said, claiming that 99 per cent people didn’t want the disturbance to prevail in the valley.
“We have a very promising tourist season ahead. 30 flights would be operating daily from Srinagar Airport next week onwards. Our schools have reopened and it is time to allow our children their schooling”, said Prasad and added that areas in down town Srinagar were the worst hit in the prevailing conditions.
Stating that Putting restrictions and curfews in the Downtown along with other towns was a compulsion for the administration, Prasad said that the government won’t tolerate people promoting disturbances anymore.
“Almost 500 policemen have sustained injuries by showing restraint in their action against stone pelters, only to safeguard life and property of public, but people must realize that they (policemen) are also humans and how long can they continue to be patient” asserted DGP, who said that the force he is leading has evolved into one of the best forces around the globe to handle law and order problems. He however added that protecting the life and property of people was the duty of the men in uniform.
“JKP was busy in tackling the counter insurgency for last twenty years and had very little time to look after the law and order. But after 2008 agitation, it has undergone huge transformation vis a vis, techniques, equipments and their resolve to deal with law and order crises”, the DGP said.
The Police Chief asked parents to dissuade their children from pelting stones. He said the arrest spree would continue until police was convinced that everything was back on the track. He also claimed that many people were approaching administration to impose curfew on Fridays to avoid loss of life and property.
