Jammu and Kashmir’s new police chief, Rashmi Ranjan Swain, on Saturday pledged a tougher anti-militancy campaign, promising to create conditions where nobody in the Union Territory supported Pakistan-backed militancy.
The director-general of police’s comments came hours after the Jammu and Kashmir administration barred government employees from participating in strikes or demonstrations and warned of strict action if they did so.
Swain, who headed the all-powerful CID department in Jammu and Kashmir before taking over as DGP on October 31, on Saturday visited the home of policeman Ghulam Mohammad Dar who was killed by militants.
Dar, who is survived by his wife and seven daughters, was killed at his home in Kralpora village of Baramulla on the first day of Swain’s new assignment.
“There are no two opinions that the people sitting across (the border in Pakistan) have not given up their plans,” Swain said.
“They will continue with their plans, but all these plans will fail if the situation changes here. Those making the plans will send them (militants) to this place but there will be no one supporting them here.”
He added: “Pakistan’s territory is not under our control. They send narcotics, men, arms and ammunition here. They don’t send money to build hospitals, roads, schools or colleges. We will succeed in foiling those plans when nobody here will be ready to support them. We will create that situation.”
Swain said that “beginning this winter”, the killing of “any of our colleagues or common citizens” will not be allowed.
“Anybody who is supporting them (militants), whether across or inside, will be brought to justice,” he said.
The DGP said the police had leads about the militants who had killed Dar and were working on them.
During Swain’s tenure as CID chief, the department had in April faced allegations from Iltija Mufti, daughter of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, of harassing and persecuting Kashmiris.
“There was a force called the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, its police wing, which was persecuting and harassing Jews,” Iltija had said.
“Similarly, the CID has only one work here, which is to crush Kashmiris, persecute them, snatch their jobs and book them under UAPA (the anti-terrorism law).”
Iltija’s comments came after she was issued a country-specific passport that allowed her to visit the UAE alone for higher studies. She later got a regular passport after a “long legal battle”.
The CID had denied her allegations.
Iltija had accused Delhi of using the CID to “criminalise” the right of ordinary Kashmiris to travel abroad for studies and jobs. She had referred to people, including journalists, who had been placed on “no-fly lists” to prevent them travelling abroad.
