Omar Govt has turned J&K into a Police state: Mehbooba

‘Sopore, Surankot custodial killings humble SC ruling on fake encounters’

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Aug 9: President of the principal opposition party PDP, Mehbooba Mufti, today lamented that Omar Abdullah-led coalition government had ‘outsourced’ governance fully to the Police force and Jammu & Kashmir had been turned into a “Police State”. Apprehending all gunbattles as fake encounters, Ms Mufti exclaimed with surprise that Police had killed two civilians in custody at Sopore and Surankot at a time when Supreme Court of India declared that uniformed participants of all fake encounters should be hanged to death.

Addressing a crowded news conference at her official residence on Gupkar Road, Mehbooba Mufti claimed that 31-month-long Omar Abdullah-led coalition government had given a free hand to its Police and armed forces in eliminating innocent civilians in custody and fake encounters. She said it was all the more surprising that Police and Army personnel had killed two civilians in custody---one in physical torture in Sopore and another in a fake encounter in Surankot---at a time when judges of Supreme Court of India had declared that Police and armed forces personnel involved in fake encounter killings be hanged to death.

Ms Mufti dismissed Chief Minister’s actions in such matters as an “eyewash” and the establishment’s hoodwinking ploy to protect the real criminals. She claimed that registration of a murder case in Sopore, followed by detention of two constables, was a hoodwinking tactics to assuage the hurt feelings. According to her, Police had let loose a reign of terror and there was no accountability in the Police force and security forces with regard to protection of human rights in the state.

Mehbooba said that the National Conference-led coalition regime had been permissive to fake encounters, notably the one at Machhil. “Now, each and every encounter has become suspect. Nobody knows which one is real and which one staged”, Mehbooba asserted. She said it was utterly unfortunate that Government of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Government of India had adopted the policy of breaking all voices of dissent with batons, guns and grenades. “We too ruled for three years. But remember there was no incident of attacking the Opposition leaders or legislators with guns and lathis”, Mehbooba asserted.

PDP chief pointed out that since last few weeks, government forces had been only striking with batons, guns  and tearsmoke on contractual lecturers, traders and other civil society groups. She said that the situation was turning back to 2002 when nobody was feeling secure in Valley.

“Though fake encounter at Surankot does not come as a surprise to any one, details reported in the press are shocking. It raises some disturbing questions. Would it pass as a genuine encounter if the community at Surankot had not refused to bury the dead body? From whom did the arms and ammunition come that were reported as having been seized from the dead ‘terrorist’? Does this not open all encounters to suspicion?” Mehbooba asked.

PDP president said that situation in the state was once again turning grim. “In its bid to create a surface calm and give impression of normalcy the state, Government seems to be waging a war against all sections of society,” she said and alleged that the government had converted J&K into a police state. “Judicial decisions are violated, public opinion is muzzled and governance and development are in holiday mode,” she added.

Mehbooba said that the government’s ‘calm summer campaign’ had become a lucrative business for police and the ruling party. “The government has virtually outsourced governance to police. And in doing so it is continuing to target various classes. Youth are again being arrested and most of them are on the run due to fear of Police,” Mehbooba said.

Mehbooba said that during last year’s unrest, business community, transporters and students were the worst hit. “The society at large responded to this crisis of survival and gave peace a big chance. Not only could we have a good tourist season but an overwhelming turnout in Panchayat polls could help create a better atmosphere of peace and security. Why is the opposite happening? Two reasons in my opinion: First, arrogance and a resolve to survive by police and their unchecked methods alone. Second, inefficiency and misgovernance,” she said.

“The traders have raised genuine issues which the government has dismissed with its characteristic arrogance, not even meeting them for discussion. They too alongwith employees are being dealt with through police alone. Why cant the government wait for a while to let traders shift to computers gradually while its own multi crore e-governance program is nowhere near taking off. Heavens would not fall,” she added.

On the hunger strike of contractual lecturers she said: “Not even an official has visited them. Students are again the sufferers in the process while the fasting young men and women are left actually to die. There can’t be more callous response from government and we condemn this arrogance”.

END