by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
PM monitoring J&K on hourly Basis
Doval to Stay put in Valley until 15th August
Local Police-Militant nexus broken
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Aug 12
The Centre has firmly told the security forces in Kashmir Valley that minimal force be used in the event of protests and situation be handled with a humane face. The fact that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deputed his National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to interact with the common people and listen to their grievances, indicates a very cautious appoach. The fact that not a single shot has been fired and no tear gas shell has been used indicates that the PM's directives are being implemented on the ground so far. Of course, there are incidents where pellet guns were used against protesting youths. But videos also show that protesters also showed extreme restraint and didn't resort to violence. They were largely peaceful too.
Ajit Doval's mission is to ensure that Bakr Eid and Independence Day pass off peacefully, and Pakistan’s effort to engineer violence is neutralised. With the J&K becoming a Union Territory, the Central forces have taken over complete control of the Police administration. It now transpires that all Police Stations & posts are headed by a senior CRPF officer and the local SHO will report to him. K Vijay Kumar, Adviser (Security) to the Governor Satya Pal Malik has been posted there since June 2018 to take direct charge of the police administration so that the backbone of the police-militants nexus is broken. The informers network is given full protection & reward which had been demolished during the past 30 years.
In fact, immediately after the break-up of BJP-PDP alliance, the PMO sent its most trusted IAS officer BVR Subramaniam as Chief Secretary. Obviously, things were at works in the PMO about J&K after the BJP suo-moto broke the alliance and got rid Mehbooba Mufti.
The government is also maintaining a studied silence whether the Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the Lal Chowk in Sri Nagar to hoist the National Flag. Its original plan that Tri colour be hoisted in every village in J&K on August 15 in on track.
