Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP) personnel deployed at various places in curfew bound areas of Jammu City today brazenly displayed their utter communal attitude by beating-up, harassing and tearing off curfew passed issued by none other than the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu and forcing the people, who had to go to hospitals, railway stations, airports or weddings, to return to their homes.
Excelsior received large number of telephone calls and complaints through other communication modes from the people, who claimed that Army, CRPF and Jammu Police behaved extremely well, accepted curfew passes and allowed people visiting hospitals, railway stations, bus stands or airports for emergency visits.
Authorities had yesterday declared at Civil Society meeting that identity cards of Medical staff and emergency services, journalists and wedding cards would be treated as curfew passes to avoid inconvenience to the people, who were ailing, performing their professional duties or had to make arrangements for marriages in the wedding season.
However, while Army, CRPF and Jammu Police followed the directions, the JKAP personnel even without waiting for the curfew passes or identity cards to be shown by the people, started beating up the people with lathis and hurled “communal abuses” on them.
One of the sufferers told the Excelsior that the JKAP men were not behaving like police personnel and it seemed that they had some grudge against the Jammu people. The people threatened to take to streets if the JKAP personnel were not removed from the City immediately saying their presence could lead to fresh trouble and clashes.
One of the valid curfew pass holders said the JKAP cops snatched his curfew pass and tore it off. Another citizen said the JKAP men threw the wedding card shown by him and snatched the goods he was taking to the venue of the marriage.
A newspaper hawker was beaten-up mercilessly at Residency Road by the JKAP men even though he possessed the curfew pass issued by the District Magistrate Jammu.
Number of organizations have condemned the attitude of the JKAP personnel and sought their immediate removal from the City if the administration wants restoration of peace.
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