CID ADG placates Kashmiri youth, says 'we don't kill intentionally'

Srinagar, July 10 (ANI): Expressing optimism that the curfew would soon be lifted in the Kashmir valley, CID ADG S.M. Sahai today said the security forces don't kill anybody intentionally but added the situation sometimes become unavoidable. Confirming that 14 people have died so far in protest-related violence in the Kashmir Valley post the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, he urged the people to help the police in controlling the emergent situation. "Our intention is not to kill anyone and if somebody says we fire bullets to kill people, then it's wrong as our intention is not that. Situations turn out such that we have to fire, but we don't want to kill people. We don't want loss of lives," Sahai told ANI. "We all, including the sensitive strata of the society, should work for the youth of Kashmir so that they opt for education and get jobs. They should not go in the wrong direction," he added. Sahai urged the people, especially the elderly, to keep the youth under their control. "Such incidents happened earlier too when lives were lost. What was the result? After six months, another incident will take place and people will lose their children. What will they get?" said Sahai. "We should take Jammu and Kashmir towards development, only then the situation will normalise. Thus, we want that the people should cooperate with us in bringing the situation to normalcy," he added. The CID ADG, however, rubbished reports suggesting that Burhan's encounter was in the knowledge of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. "It's wrong to make such statements because the Chief Minister is responsible for the entire state and our job is to keep her reporting about a situation. When there is some incident, we inform her. For example, when there were casualties yesterday, we reported her about it," said Sahai. "It doesn't mean that she sits with us and plans everything. These things are brought to her knowledge after the incident," he added. Justifying his assertion, Sahai said implying that the matter was in the knowledge of the Chief Minister is entirely wrong. "Whether good or bad, we have to report everything to her. But implying or writing that Burhan's operation was a 'kill operation' is not right. We don't want to kill any militant rather we want them to surrender, but at times the situations become unavoidable and we have to respond to their bullets," he added. The CID ADG also expressed his disappointment over the youth rallying behind Burhan post his killing. "Yesterday, we had seen that people were saying that they had supported Burhan in big numbers. The youth have so many issues and what face it would acquire it is a different issue. It is not just the matter of Kashmir, but if you see at the international level even there is problems like this. Thus, it would not be correct to support the general issues of the youth in terms of support for Burhan," he said. Responding to a poser as to how difficult it was for the security forces to control the situation, Sahai said: "Yesterday, if you see, the populated areas were alright, but we faced difficulties in such areas where our presence was limited. We generally don't expect violence in those areas." "Yesterday, our effort was to control the situation when he (Burham) was being buried and to maintain law and order situation in those areas, which are known for violence, in which we succeeded. They looted our one police station and attacked security forces by looted weapons, our men were injured and one person is still missing," he added. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today chaired a high-level meeting in Delhi to review law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir following protests over Wani's killing. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi was present in the meeting along with Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Dineshwar Sharma and other senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Home Minister also spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and assured her of all central assistance to deal with the situation. Burhan, the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen, was buried in his native place Tral yesterday while violent mobs attacked installations of police and paramilitary forces at various places in the Valley and set ablaze several buildings including three police installations. Burhan's funeral was attended by thousands of people in particular the youth. (ANI)