MHA defends CRPF action
The Union home ministry on Monday defended the CRPF which came under attack for firing incidents in Jammu and Kashmir after the paramilitary force fired at a mob in Sopore which claimed one life. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has voiced strong concern over civilians becoming victims of action by paramilitary
forces. However, defending its turf, senior officials in the home ministry said that the CRPF personnel performed their duty when a mob attacked the Jammu and Kashmir policemen, who rushed inside the CRPF camp to take shelter when the firing incident took place.
The home ministry maintained that the CRPF is deployed in J&K at the request of the state government which is responsible for positioning of the paramilitary force within the state. The sources maintained that the J&K government should have deployed more battalions of the state armed police in Sopore following the curfew imposed in the area.
“The first line of defence should always be the state police. But here the CRPF was in direct confrontation with the mob. The CRPF personnel will defend the camp if it is attacked,” a government official said.
Speaking to a television channel, home secretary G.K. Pillai said that people who break curfew and attack police posts cannot be termed as “innocent civilians”.
He went on to add that chief minister Omar Abdullah was handling the situation “to the best of his ability”.
To a question on whether the separatists were fanning public sentiments, Mr Pillai said, “I think separatists are definitely instigating the violence. We have seen this happening repeatedly.”
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