Says police will review security of Panchs, Sarpanchs
SRINAGAR – Claiming that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have once again rejected the poll boycott threats from militants, Director General of Police (DGP), Askhok Prasad on Thursday said that a more than 90 percent turn out in LC polls was an eye opener for Hizb Ul Mujahedeen (HM) who had issued threats to Village heads.
Hizb had warned them of dire consequences if they participated in the elections, but see, all the people ignored them altogether. DGP told KNS on Thursday, adding that people of the state have once again reposed their faith in democracy. They had issued threats in 1996, 2002 and then in 2008 also, but every time their threats and calls were ignored by the democracy loving people of the state, added Prasad.
Asserting that police had not taken the threats lightly and had made adequate arrangements to meet any eventuality, he said, We had put our men on high alert especially in the sensitive and hypersensitive areas and were fully prepared to counter any kind of eventuality.
He added that the passing off of the LC polls peacefully was a result of the better management and coordination between the Election Commission authorities and the state Police who had been on toes to ensure that not a single Punch or Sarpanch was scared of any kind of threats.
Our police personal deserve applauds for providing such a fearless environment for polls. DGP asserted.
He was critical of the militant organizations and said that they (Militants) should now realize that people in the valley dont listen to them and have faith in democracy. People were told that Punch elections wont give them anything. They were also told that not even the parliament and Assembly elections were for their (peoples) benefit. But each time people rejected them. What else do they want now, asked Prasad, who had earlier castigated United Jihad Council Chief Syed Salah ud din for issuing threats to the Punchs and Sarpunchs .
Meanwhile softening its stand on providing security to the village representatives, DGP said that though it wasnt possible for Police to provide individual protection to each of the more than 33 thousand village heads, however he said that Govt. has a commitment that nobody would be allowed to harm them. We stand by the Govt.s commitment and want to assure all Panchs and Sarpanchs that their protection is on our agenda. We cant provide security to all, but would definitely review their security on case to case basis, asserted Prasad.
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