FIR against CRPF personnel by J&K government reeks of vendetta politics.

Jammu and Kashmir government has again shown the audacity of siding with the stone pelting mob from the Kashmir valley at the expense of the security forces of Central Reserve Police Force. A mob of protesters targeted security vans passing through the Nowhatta area. The menacing mob which numbered in excess of 100 surrounded the van from all sides and pelted stones at the CRPF vehicle. The mob also tried to get on top of the vehicle in order to cause serious damage to the security personnel inside. The driver of the CRPF vehicle, in order to save himself and his colleagues, tried to get away from the place by speeding up. This led to the severe injuries to two protesters who unfortunately got caught beneath the speeding vehicle. The injured were admitted in a hospital. Kaiser Bhat (21) succumbed to his injuries at midnight in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) in Srinagar. This incident took place just a few days prior to Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s planned visit to the Kashmir valley. Rajnath Singh’s scheduled visit will include watching over the preparations for the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to begin on June 29^th. He is also likely to hold talks with the Hurriyat leaders for initiation of peace talks.

In a highly controversial and irresponsible step, the Jammu and Kashmir government has registered the case of ‘rash driving’ under Section 279 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC). Sections149, 152, 336 and 427 of the RPC have also been invoked on the CRPF personnel. RPC is used in Kashmir which is the equivalent of IPC in the rest of India. This FIR by the Jammu and Kashmir government came even after the J&K police clarification that the two youth were a part of violent mob which had targeted the security vehicle passing through the area. The mob was out for blood and had the driver not sped up the vehicle there is little doubt over whether they would have lived to see another day. The photos and videos which have emerged further prove that the vehicle driver had to get away by using every means necessary in order to save his life. The official Twitter handle of Jammu and Kashmir police also criticized the factions which were engaged in painting a demonizing picture of the CRPF driver.

The crowd with stones in their hands had lined up almost in a planned manner, with stones in their hands and had tried to wrench open the gates of the vehicle by force. Their gruesome instincts can be ascertained by anyone who watches the complete video of the accident and not the selective one which is being peddled by the leftist media houses. The death of Kashmiri youth is indeed a tragic incident but they cannot be termed as pious, noble and peaceful protesters in any way. The said incident occurred a few days after the Central government’s decision to declare conditional ceasefire following Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s appeal for peace during Ramazan. The unprovoked attack on the CRPF vehicle shows that the radicalization of the Kashmiri youth has taken a turn for the worse.

Human Rights groups and the whole cabal which has started blaming CRPF for the death of the Kashmiri youth should be asked what the CRPF personnel was supposed to do in that situation. Was he supposed to stop the vehicle and wait for a certain death at the hands of an angry mob? The state government’s decision to take action for collateral damage is also reckless and reeks of vendetta against security forces and appeasement to separatists as they are yet to bring to justice the real culprits who started the attacks in the first place. The central government needs to back the CRPF personnel in this case and bring to justice the criminals and goons who had initiated and led the attacks in the first place.