Cong assails Govt over denial of security cover to Oppn leaders

PCC leader GA Mir, flanked by senior leaders addressing press conference in Jammu on Wednesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh
PCC leader GA Mir, flanked by senior leaders addressing press conference in Jammu on Wednesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 2: The Congress today strongly hit out at the Government crying foul in the matter of due security cover to its senior leaders and activists while extending all due and undue facilities and huge security cover to lower rank leaders of the ruling party and other activists of pro-Govt outfits.
Addressing a press conference here today, a battery of senior leadership of Congress party led by JKPCC president GA Mir hit out Govt strongly over the selective and discriminatory approach and undue favouritism to the ruling BJP and other pro-Govt outfits while the prominent leadership of the Congress party is deprived of the basic security cover required to play an active role, exposing them to security threat, which, he described as detrimental to the overall democratic activities, which are essential to reach out to the people.
He said the Congress party does not seek any undue favours or privileges extended to other pro-Govt outfits at Government expense but there should be no bias or discrimination in the matter of required security cover the genuine main stream opposition leadership, especially national party like Congress which has given sacrifices for safeguarding national interests.
Flanked by working president Raman Bhalla, chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Balwan Singh (Ex-MLA), TS Bajwa (Ex-MP), Ashok Sharma & Indu Pawar (Both Ex-MLAs), Ved Mahajan (Ex-MLC) and others, JKPCC chief said that so far Congress party has never raised this issue publically but used persuasive policies with the Government to adopt a fair security policy but day by day, the Government and higher ups are further downgrading and withdrawing the minimum essential security cover to our leaders and activists on selective basis.
Mir alleged that the security review and assessment system is totally biased towards opposition Congress while extend undue favours and more than required security cover, vehicles and escorts to such leaders having no or little public standing but only due to political affiliations. Those who have never been legislators or even Sarpanch but avail more facilities of security than the top Congress leaders, former ministers/Legislators and other who qualify as per fair criteria. Mir said that even he himself as president of the Congress party and other senior leaders including several times former ministers legislators have been deprived of the due security cover.
He said Congress party also dealt with terrorism, separatism and antidemocratic forces, in Jammu and Kashmir while in the Govt at the Centre and in the State but it never indulged in such discriminatory treatment in the matter of security, however, the present Government and administration has misplaced priorities amidst difficult security situation and proxy war of Pakistan, as it does not encourage, rather support national parties like congress in its endeavor to carry on genuine political and democratic activities in most difficult security situation, he added.
Claiming that situation is far from normal and rather more vulnerable on some parameters and our forces/ jawans and other civilians getting targeted, while Congress always fought against terrorism and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Govt and forces to deal with terrorism but such tactics against the national party leaders and opposition is highly condemnable and against overall interests of nation and democracy.
JKPCC leadership urged the Lt Governor and the Home Minister to review such discriminatory policies against the congress party and other such mainstream forces to defeat the nefarious designs of anti democratic forces those who have vested interests in prolonging the bureaucratic regime.