SRINAGAR : Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today discussed recent killings in Shopian and other places in the state amid repeated interruptions and heated arguments between treasury and opposition members.
Speaker Mubarak Gul announced that the Question Hour has been suspended and allowed a discussion on adjournment motion moved by opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), lone member of Communist Party of India (M) and Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) on Shopian and other killlings in the state.
Initiating the debate, leader of the opposition Mehbooba Mufti said:” Youths are future for our state.
For government they are drug addicts, stone pelters and Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants.’
“I belong to South Kashmir so I feel more pain with recent killings in Shopian.” She said security forces killed four youths at Gagran in Shopian when people, mostly from outside the state, were enjoying the concert of Zubin Mehta in Shalimar garden on September 7.
It is a different matter that those who performed with Zubin Mehta had said they were wrongly informed that they were going to peform before the people of Kashmir.
She said after the killing of four youths, police came out with a statement next day that three of the deceased youths have no previous militant links while fourth was a militant, which led to massive protests in Shopian and other places as the people have no other way to express their anger.
Ms Mufti said as in other cases of using brute force against peaceful demonstrators, the authorities imposed a curfew knowing that it was a fruit season in Kashmir. Shopian is known for fruits.
Farmers could not go to their orchards because of restrictions, resultting in loses to them.
She alleged that an FIR was registered in these killings after about 12 days when people continued protest and she was not allowed to go there.
However, she was interrupted by ruling NC member Nasir Aslam Wani who claimed that FIR was registered on September 10 and a team of ministers and members visited Shopian.
But Ms Mufti contested the claim of Mr Wani and said the copy of the FIR was given to father of one of the deceased after her intervention.
She alleged that the government has lost its credibility as it has failed to bring back the remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru despite massive protests. It has failed to take any action against the security forces involved in the killings of 120 youths and other killings in the state.
She said before the Magisterial inquiry ordered into these killings could complete its work, a senior police officer in the state police said two of the four deceased were relatives of slain militants and third was arrested under Public Safety Act (PSA).
“What inquiry will officer do now,”she asked and said this provided a chance to the Director General of CRPF to say that all were militant associates.
Ms Mufti said the government has lost its credibility as it has failed to make the security forces accountable for innocent killings in the state.
The Government did not think it proper to talk to the people in Shopian, who were demanding revmoval of CRPF bunker and action against CRPF personnel for killing youths, she pointed out.
About Gool killings, she said, what was the need for firing when people were protesting against showing disrespect to a holy book.
The security forces later justified these killings after the government said that a local priest incited the people for violence. “You cannot justify firing on peaceful demonstrators,” she said and wanted to know what action the government has taken against security forces involved in these killings.
The Leader of the opposition wanted to know what happened to the investigation of killing of three youths in Anantnag in when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that action will be taken within 24 hours.
The achievement of the government so far is to file cases against thousands of youths and destroy their future, jail small children under PSA.
“Let us say that you cannot take action against central paramilitary forces and Army without the approval of the centre, but what about state police personnel who are involved in the killings,” she said.
She said during the Congress-PDP rule a Superintendent of Police was found involved in a fake encounter who was sent to jail.
Ms Mufti said it will be wrong to say that no killings took place during Congress-PDSP coalition rule, but they had taken action.
She said people elected NC government in 1996 for a change which did not happen as crackdowns, killings continued.
However, after PDP-Congress assumed power in 2002, crackdowns were stopped, task force was made non-functional and security forces were made accountable.
“You could not stop the hanging of Afzal Guru when Tamil Nadu and Punjab government forces the Centre to change their decision.
“If Centre want to nail Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others in fake encounter cases, why no action is being taken against security forces involved in innocent killings in Kashmir, she asked.
She said only three people were killed in Kishtwar incident and entire country protested and the question was raised in Parliament. Why there was no voice raised when 120 youths were killed by security forces in Kashmir.
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