KL Report
SRINAGAR
Director General Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad Tuesday said that situation was fast returning to normal in major areas of Jammu region where curfew was imposed a few days back after communal clashes.
Talking to a local news agency, KNS he said, “Situation remained near normal on Tuesday and we are trying our best to ensure that curfew is relaxed. We are assessing the situation, to see the areas where curfew can be relaxed in consultation with respectable and prominent citizens of the respective areas.”
He said that at several places on Tuesday shopkeepers opened their shops as people now want relaxation in curfew. “Inter community animosity has subsided now. Let elders take responsibility of their respective areas we will lift the curfew,” he said.
The DGP said that public mood appears to be against disturbance and they want normalcy restored. “Civil society groups have appreciated response of the government and the administration the way situation was handled.”
The DGP said that 120 odd arrests have been made in various areas of Jammu division in the last few days. “We have to work for long term peace and catch hold of all the miscreants. We will ensure long term peace is maintained in the area and for that we have to take legal action against those who were involved in the clashes,” he said.
Prasad said that in few areas protests erupted after police arrested some people who were involved in the clashes. “We have to do the arrests and people will protest against that. We will not stop our investigations because of the fear of protests.”
Asked whether there was any lapse on part of police in handling the situation in Kishtwar on Eid, he said, “When there were thousand people on roads it is difficult to control them. What district admin did was correct. Causalities were minimized. Had police opened fire there would have been more causalities.”
“The response of the district administration was appropriate in dealing with huge crowd in an agitated mood. There is a view that had the administration used force including firing the situation could have flared up. However, fact and circumstances are enquired into by judicial commission and it would not be appropriate to pre-judge that finding,” he added.
The DGP told KNS that restrictions will remain imposed up to August 15 depending on the circumstances and the public response in different areas. He said that rumor mongers were active and spreading rumors to instigate public.
