The killing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Rakesh Pandita in Tral led to a war of words between Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and the BJP leaders. Subsequently, the police banned the travelling of the protected persons without security clearance. This has upset the mainstream parties barring the BJP who accuse the police of keeping their movement under check.
DEBATE TRIGGER
The debate started when the BJP termed the killing a “security lapse”. Police responded saying Pandita had travelled to Tral without his two personal security officers and without informing the police.
Ashok Koul, however, questioned how militants were roaming freely in the area where Pandita was killed. He said the killing was political and should not be linked with the return of Kashmiri Pandits.
“Rakesh Pandita killing is a security lapse,” Koul said while questioning as to why the security agencies were unaware that three unidentified militants were freely roaming in the area. “We agree with the fact that our leader had not taken PSOs with him,” he said, adding that government should admit the lapse on its part.
The police quickly rebutted the allegations of laxity and issued a rider on the travelling of protected persons. “No protectee (sic) should go anywhere without PSOs. Visits are allowed only after ground assessment of local threat is done,” Kashmir Police Chief, Vijay Kumar said in an advisory. He asked them not to violate SOPs and risk their lives.
UNHAPPY MAINSTREAM
This story is from the June 19, 2021 edition of Kashmir Life.
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This story is from the June 19, 2021 edition of Kashmir Life.
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