New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) The Congress Monday led political parties in demanding that the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir exercise caution to prevent civilians from coming under fire, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it will wait for an inquiry report before reacting to the recent deaths of civilians in the state.
Replying to queries from media persons, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said the elected government in the state was doing its best to restore normalcy.
Expressing sympathy with the families who lost their members in the recent violence in the state, he said it was a difficult hour and nobody should lose patience.
‘There are many forces who do not want peace in the state. We should all keep patience,’ Tewari told reporters here.
The Congress is a partner in the ruling coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir which is headed by the National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.
A judicial inquiry into the recent killing of two civilians allegedly in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) firing in north Kashmir was ordered the the state government Saturday. It is likely to give its report within a month.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however defended the CRPF and said that it will not blame the security forces who are the protectors of the country but will wait for the report of the inquiry into the recent firing incidents.
‘We will wait for the inquiry commission to complete the investigation before blaming the CRPF, who are the protectors of India. There should be no outside trial of the armed forces who are protecting the nation,’ BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters here.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman reacting to media reports of the CRPF admitting to the killings said: ‘There should not be a media or an outside trial. Let us wait for the inquiry commission report to come, but I can assure you that we are not going to defend anyone whether it is the CRPF or other security forces who has gone out of law.’
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Brinda Karat said that the party is ‘deeply concerned by the killings of innocents’ and that there should be an immediate intervention to put an end to the killings.
‘These killings are the most unfortunate and condemnable happenings. This should stop immediately,’ she said.
Two youth, including a 15-year-old, were killed in the Kashmir Valley Monday as thousands of protesters came out on the streets and clashed with security forces, who prevented them from reaching Sopore to attend the funeral of two men killed last week, police said.
