Various bodies seek probe by Apex Court Judge

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 12: Various social and political organizations have demanded a high level inquiry commission headed by a Supreme Court judge to investigate the Kishtwar violence and fix responsibility on the persons responsible for it.
Former Union Minister of State for Defence  and MLA Jammu West, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta in a press statement issued here today demanded that an inquiry commission headed by an apex court judge be appointed to hold a detailed probe into the Kishtwar incident.   While asserting this, Prof  Gupta also demanded that a team of  senior police officers of integrity should immediately be constituted to recover the looted property of  the people  and strong steps to recover the looted weapons reportedly from a gun shop.
The former Minister further said that in order to restore confidence of the people, especially of the minorities, an all party delegation should be sent to Kishtwar  and adequate relief should be provided to the sufferers with out loss of time, particularly to those whose family members have been killed and also to the injured. He also pointed out that there was paucity of ration and other food items in Kishtwar area and people are facing lot of  hardships. He said pilgrims are also facing problems and dictatorial approach of the Government would not held in normalizing situation.
Congress Legislator Naresh Kumar Gupta while strongly condemning the Kishtwar incident has also demanded a high level probe by the apex court judge into the whole episode. He also stressed that there is immediate need to set up peace committees with peace march  and steps to rehabilitate the affected people, who suffered heavy loss. He issued appeal to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony  and stressed the need to restore trust of the minorities.  He also demanded that  stranded pilgrims in Paddar/ Atholi area be airlifted.
Yet another Legislator from Udhampur Balwant Singh Makotia demanded a proper and unfair investigation to the Kishtwar incident  and also demanded adequate compensation for the victims. He alleged that District Administration totally failed to control the situation and rather helped in worsening further and allowed free hand to those indulging in rioting. He said that his party would not tolerate this kind of incidents in the State.
R-47, a political organization has strongly flayed the administration’s laxity in taking timely action and consequent flare up of communal violence in Kishtwar.  In a meeting of the body held here today under the chairmanship of Balraj Bakshi, the members lambasted the district administration for facilitating the rioters to indulge in violence and arson. It is clear from the re-construction of events that this was well calculated dereliction of duty to appease the `pro-Azadi’ elements.
Issuing a joint statement on the prevailing situation, leaders of Jammu State Morcha, Prof. Virender Gupta, Chandra Uday Sharma, Devender Singh Jamwal and Nathu Ram Gupta have asked the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to quit the office.
Instead of blaming the political parties for communal riots which erupted in Kishtwar and for the situation that emerged afterwards, the Chief Minister should look towards his own self for the guilt and follies committed by him in following divisive and secessionist politics, thereby encouraging the communal and secessionist elements, they said.
This shall be good for the people of the State and National Conference, otherwise his party would suffer an extremely humiliating defeat in the forthcoming Assembly elections as well as Parliamentary elections, they added.
The Jammu State Morcha demanded that if Omar does not resign voluntarily, then he should be dethroned and Governor Rule be enforced.
Duggar Vikas Manch  said that  had the Chief Minister  Omar Abdullah taken action in time and met the officials of the Home department and the divisional administration and discussed steps  to maintain law and order, things wouldn’t have gone out of control and innocent’s lives and their properties could have been saved.
Stressing   that the sufferers must be compensated as per their damages, Dineshwar Singh Jamwal, president of DVM, has appealed people to maintain peace and communal harmony to help restore law and order, which Jammu region’s society symbolizes with its pluralistic ethos and peaceful co-existence of different faiths, cultures and ethnic groups.
Duggar Pradesh Party president Uday Chand has demanded that the Central Government should impose Governor rule in the State and a man of clear, secular image and vision like Jagmohan be appointed as Governor to deal with the prevailing situation. He also appealed people to maintain communal harmony and peace at all cost.
Expressing serious concern over the Kishtwar incident and subsequent situation across the Jammu region, Kathua Vikas Manch has said that the timely action on the part of State Government and local administration could have diffused the situation to turn ugly. A meeting of the Manch was held under the chairmanship of Prof Ram Murti Sharma who also demanded a CBI probe into the violence and appealed people to maintain peace and communal harmony.
All India Backward Classes Union Social has termed the Kishtwar violence as pre-planned by some anti-nationals and condemned the State administration for its failure to control the situation. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was himself responsible for the delayed action in enforcing curfew while all political parties at aiming at vote bank by exploiting the situation, the Union said in a meeting held under the chairmanship of its president Abdul Majid Malik.
Kashmiri Pandit Sabha (KPS) while condemning the communal violence in Kishtwar has blamed the Government for the same. The Sabha chief, K K Khosa also expressed his shock and grief over the loss of innocent lives and massive damage to the property.
The Sabha in its meeting deplored the State Government for its inaction and inability to contain and control the situation even when the MoS Home happened to be in the town.
The Sabha urged the Central and State Government to rise to the occasion and bring the situation under control and ensure the safety of the minorities in the State.
Kashmiri Hindu Conference (KHC) president M L Thusso, convener P L Koul Budgami and another senior leader Jaikrishan Maktoom also expressed serious concern over the attack on minorities and have demanded that the Government should ensure the security of minorities in Valley also.
They also demanded sacking of the Government and imposition of Governor’s rule in the State.
Prof A N Sadhu, a well known academician while condemning the Kishtwar communal violence held the Government’s ineptness responsible for the same. He said the Kishtwar violence was the result of a preplanned move and State Government has failed to take preemptive measures to contain the situation.
TRT Buta Nagar in a meeting under the leadership of T K Dhar while expressing concern over Kishtwar communal violence said that Government imposed curfew in Jammu sensing trouble but it deliberately avoided taking such a hard action in Kishtwar were innocent people faced the wrath of hooligans for hours together.

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