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| PDP-BJP Govt to boost security of separatists | | |
Early Times Report
srinagar, June 4: In the wake of recent claim of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani that there was a threat to life of some separatists, the PDP-BJP government is all set to provide more security to them, official sources have told Early Times.
Senior police officials said detailed deliberations are on in this regard and that "security cover to some senior separatist leaders was to be improved in the coming days."
They said that modalities were being discussed with the Home Ministry. Apart from improving security around the residences of the separatists, particularly Geelani and chairman of the parallel Hurriyat faction, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, police flying squads would be kept at their disposal in the nearby areas.
The development has come in the wake of recent statement from Geelani that denounced an unknown militant outfit 'Lashkar-e-Islam' for deadly attacks on mobile communication network in north Kashmir. A day after Geelani labeled the outfit as "creation of Indian secret agencies", a grenade was lobbed on a mobile tower at Habba Kadal in old quarters of Srinagar.
Thereafter, Geelani's Hurriyat said, "Pro-freedom leaders could be targeted by Lashkar-e-Islam. "It (Lashkar-e-Islam's) only purpose is to harm and defame the struggle, damage Kashmir's economy and disturb the social setup of the state."
"United Jihad Council (the grouping of militant outfits operating in Kashmir) has given a detailed explanation in this regard and Hurriyat also has got evidence that the attacks and threat to the people associated with telecommunication are actually the handiwork of the Indian secret agencies and a plot in this regard was formulated some months back. According to the plot an operation, which has been given a particular name, would be held in the guise of militants. It seems that this operation is directly looked over by the Home Ministry and the state administration and even the state police have been deliberately left ignorant in this regard like in the case of Al-Faran group creation," a spokesman of Geelani's Hurriyat said.
"Al-Faran at first kidnapped and then killed the five innocent European tourists and the state administration and the police were totally unaware about it," the spokesman said, adding "According to the reports received by the Hurriyat, the pro-freedom leaders can be the target of this operation."
Even as the government is fighting a political battle with separatist leaders, it is providing them high-end security. Official records reveal that government spends over Rs one crore annually on security to the separatist leaders.
In 2005, in response to a question in the Legislative Council, the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that Rs one crore was spent on the security of 10 separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Shah and Bilal Gani Lone.
Though Azad did not mention the specific threats against these leaders, he said protected persons are provided security on the basis of threat perception.
Since 2003, Geelani too enjoys government security. But police said Mirwaiz, who is also the head priest of the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, has the highest security cover among the separatists.
Reports reveal that apart from a bulletproof car, two escorts and a few personal security officers, nearly 30 policemen guard Mirwaiz's Nagin residence.
A senior police official however downplayed the matter. "Review of security to them (separatists) is a routine exercise," he said. |
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