Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 15 : Urging people to maintain peace and communal harmony, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said that New Delhi will not tolerate militancy and eliminate the “terror” soon.
He also said that there were some elements in Kashmir who are “paid agents” of ISI backed by Pakistan and that such elements will be dealt sternly.
Speaking to reporters at the Technical Airport here after chairing a review meeting at RTC Humhama, Singh said that peace is the first priority of the Government. “We will not tolerate the terror backed by Pakistan and ISI. We will eliminate the terror,” he said.
“There are some elements who are hand in glove with militant organisations and ISI across the border. They are involved in conspiracies too. They are toying with the future of the people, especially the youth, of J&K”, the Home Minister said.
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“There are some elements here who take money from Pakistan and ISI. I have told the officers that the security provided to such people should be reviewed”, he said.
Singh said that he chaired a review meeting and directed the officers of the police, Army and the CRPF that the convoy movement should get the safe passage and during their movement no civilian vehicle should be allowed.
“Here, civilians have to cooperate with the forces. Civilian vehicles will be halted till convoy passes,” Singh said.
The Home Minister said that entire nation is proud of the martyred CRPF men and the J&K people too have condemned the dastardly act. He also said that he will sternly deal with some elements in Kashmir who are “the paid agents of ISI and Pakistan.”
Asked about Jammu situation, Singh said that he has asked the State administration to deal with it and take stern action against those trying to disrupt peace and damaging the communal fabric.
Singh also visited Army’s 92 Base Hospital to inquire about the nature of injuries and treatment being provided to the injured CRPF men. He also visited RTC Humhama where he shouldered the coffin of one of the slain CRPF man.
Earlier, a six member team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today visited the spot of Fidayeen attack to join the probe into the Pulwama attack.
The NIA team with forensic experts took samples from the attack site and will assist Jammu and Kashmir Police in forensic evaluation of the crime scene.
Explosive specialists of the Black Cat commando force NSG also visited the site for investigation into the attack.
Earlier, Rajnath Singh today helped to carry the coffin of a martyred CRPF jawan after he laid a wreath on the mortal remains of the troops, who were martyred in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Shortly after arriving from Delhi, the Home Minister attended a solemn function here where the remains of 44 CRPF personnel were kept in coffins, draped with tricolour.
Singh helped carry the coffin of a martyred CRPF jawan before it was flown out of Jammu and Kashmir in a special aircraft, an official present at the function said.
The Home Minister, Governor Satya Pal Malik, Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, CRPF Director General R R Bhatnagar, DGP Dilbag Singh besides others attended the wreath laying ceremony.
The dignitaries stood in silence till the coffins were loaded in a truck which went to the Srinagar airport, the official said.
7 detained for attack
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has detained seven persons from Pulwama district in South Kashmir in connection with the deadly terror attack that killed 44 CRPF personnel near Awantipora, officials said on Friday.
The youths were detained from Pulwama and Awantipora during the night on suspicion of links with the planning of the suicide attack, the first-of-its-kind in which a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist detonated an explosive-laden vehicle near a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bus.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team, along with explosives and forensic experts, collected the materials required for a forensic evaluation of the scene of crime. Considering the status of the scene of crime, the team will continue with sifting of the material on Saturday as well. The outcome will be made known once the analysis is over.
The overall planning of the terror strike is believed to be done by a Pakistani national, Kamran of JeM, who has been operating and moving in the Pulwama, Awantipora and Tral areas of South Kashmir.
The “fidayeen” (suicide attacker) was identified as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama. He had joined the JeM in 2018. According to initial investigations, the plan for the terror strike was hatched in the Midoora area of Tral.
The police are also looking for another local JeM Over Ground Worker, who was instrumental in arranging the explosives.
Meanwhile, Aadhaar cards, ID cards, leave applications and certain other articles were the only things left of most of the 44 CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama terror attack that helped their colleagues identify them, officials said today.
Officials said as the bodies of the troops were badly mutilated and charred due on the impact of the RDX-triggered blast, it became very difficult to ascertain their identities.
Most of the martyred jawans were either identified by their Aadhaar cards, force IDs, PAN cards or leave applications kept in their pockets and bags.
Some of them were identified by their colleagues by the watches or wallets they had on, a senior official said.
A good number of men, another official said, escaped death by sheer luck as they aborted their journey last moment.
The officials at the Srinagar and Jammu bases of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) undertook the daunting task of making hundreds of calls to the families of the jawans who were part of the convoy to establish that none was missing and the identities of the dead were correct.
One jawan was found to be in Delhi while another had aborted the journey last moment due to some urgent work in Jammu, the second official said.
As the bodies were badly mutilated, they said, it took a long time for the doctors and the force brass in Srinagar to declare the number of casualties. (PTI)
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