NC, BJP MLAs clash in Assembly over security situation

29/06/2016

SRINAGAR, Jun 28: Members of National Conference and ruling BJP clashed in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today over the security situation in the wake of attack on CRPF convoy, with the opposition party demanding to know what steps were being taken to deal with the growing violence.
NC members later staged a walkout as their demand went unheeded.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, NC MLAs wanted to speak on the security situation, which according to them was "deteriorating".
The opposition members referred to the recent incidents of violence in the state including the deadly Pampore attack on last Saturday that left eight CRPF personnel dead and 21 injured.
"We are in the session (of the Assembly) and the government must come out with a statement," NC member Devender Rana said.
He also took on BJP, which shares power with PDP in the state, for demanding "attack" on militant training camps across the border in Pakistan.
Accusing BJP of creating "war hysteria", he said the ruling party was indulging in "jingoism" and "playing to the gallery instead of spelling out measures to combat violence.
Asserting that war is not a solution, Rana said the state, especially the areas adjoining the Line of Control and International Border, braved the brunt of shelling from across the border two years ago.
"Bullets are fired here, not in Nagpur," Rana said in an apparent reference to the RSS headquarters.
Rana's comments infuriated BJP MLAs who shouted him down and created din.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta intervened, saying the central government was capable of defeating the Pakistani designs in Jammu and Kashmir.
"For a moment, BJP is forgetting that it is in government, both in the state and at the Centre," Rana said.
The NC MLA also took a jibe at PDP and wanted to know its response over the alliance partners "war yells and talk of air strikes" in the neighbouring country.
"What is the response of the party that believed in 'Goli Se Nahi Boli Se (not bullet but by dialogue issues can be resolved)," he said and asked whether the PDP had "surrendered its basic principles for lust of power".
Rana said war is no solution to problems as world history stands testimony to the fact that all issues have been resolved on negotiating table.
"Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed havoc in the border skirmishes in the past and therefore tendencies of getting into eyeball-to-eyeball situation with the neighbouring country need to be eschewed," the NC member said.
To ensure this, the BJP, being partner in the government in J&K and ruling the country has more responsibility," he added.
The NC MLAs then staged a walkout while shouting slogans against the government.
Later, two ruling PDP MLAs Javed Hassan Beig and Mohammad Abbass Wani also staged walkout, expressing dissatisfaction over the government's reply to the latter's question about rehabilitation of Ponywallas in Gulmarg tourist resort.
Wani had asked the government about the steps taken by it to rehabilitate the Ponywallas whose livelihood was affected by the setting up of Cable car at the tourist resort.
Beig wanted to ask a supplementary to the question on the grounds that Gulmarg tourist resort was also affecting part of his Baramulla constituency.
However, the Speaker did not allow Beig to speak, prompting the two PDP MLAs to walk out from the House.
Opposition NC MLA from Pahalgam Altaf Kaloo also walked out after the government did not respond to his question whether there was any proposal to start a Cable car project in the south Kashmir tourist resort.
Thirty seven people have been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly providing hawala money for "spreading" militant activities, the state government today said.
"A total of 17 cases were registered during the last three years till May 12 in connection with hawala transactions," Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in a written reply to a question by BJP member Sat Paul Sharma in the state Assembly.
Eight cases were registered in 2013, five in 2014, three in 2015 and one so far this year, Mehbooba, who also holds the home portfolio, said.
A total of 37 people -- 17 in 2013, nine in 2014, eight in 2015 and three in 2016 were arrested in connection with the cases, she said, adding over Rs 36.70 lakh, USD 900 and 33 gold coins were also recovered.
Also, 116 people were arrested for possessing counterfeit currency. Fake Indian currency notes with a face value of Rs 51.15 lakh and USD 6,980 have been seized since 2013, she said.
The chief minister denied having received any report about separatist leaders receiving hawala money.
She said foreign funds were being routed through various channels including hawala to spread terrorist activities in the state.
There have been 11,270 ceasefire violations and border firing incidents by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir since 2002 which have resulted in the killing of 313 people, including 144 security forces personnel, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti told the Legislative Council today.
She said these violations and incidents have taken place between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2015.
The highest number of such violations took place in 2002 when 8376 incidents were reported while 2045 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2003, she said in written reply to a question.
The ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control and international border in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.
For three years - 2004, 2005 and 2007 - there was not a single such violation on the border, Mehbooba said.
The Chief Minister said 169 civilians and 144 security men were killed in the shelling from across the border in J&K since 2002.
The highest number of 76 civilians were killed in such violations in 2002 while in 2003, 59 civilians were killed in the border shelling.
Over the next 10 years, four people died in the ceasefire violation, she said.
In 2014 and 2015, 14 and 16 civilians were killed respectively in ceasefire violations from across the border, she said.
A total of 735 civilians and 311 security forces personnel were injured in these violations in these years, Mehbooba said.
She said a maximum of 58 security men were killed and other 157 injured in the year 2002.
However, over 8,000 AK series rifles and nearly 10 lakh AK rounds of ammunition have been recovered from militants in the last 14 years in Jammu and Kashmir, government said today.
The security agencies have recovered 8,146 AK-47/56/74 rifles from militants from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2015 during counter-insurgency operations, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who also holds the charge of Home Department, said in a written reply to a question in the Legislative Council.
During the same period, 9.938 lakh AK-series rounds and 24,372 AK-series magazines have also been recovered, she said.
The security agencies recovered 2,877 pistols and revolvers, 2,899 magazines and 38,688 rounds.
Besides, 44 Uber Machine Guns (UMGs), 24 carbines, 673 RPGs, 6 General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), 144 LMGs and SLRs, 76 sniper rifles, 698 rocket boosters and 181 rifles (.303) were recovered from 2002 to 2015, the chief minister said.
She said 22 UMG magazines and 7,567 ammunition rounds, 141 LMG and SLR magazines, 16 carbine magazines, 7099 sniper rifle ammunition, 2700 .303 rifle ammunition, 347 belted ammunition and one telescope were also recovered in these years.
The Chief Minister said that 20,158 grenades and hand grenades, 2,828 electronic detonators, 14,903 detonators, 613 Anti-Personnel Mines, 88 Anti-Tank Mines were also recovered from militants by the security agencies.
During the 14-year period, 8947.25 kg of explosives and 6,871.6 kg of RDX have also been recovered during counter-insurgency operations, the chief minister said.
The security agencies recovered 3,513 wireless sets, 434 binoculars and also 3,464 metres of cordex explosive, she said.
Pakistani troops have violated ceasefire on Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir for 849 times after India and Pakistan agreed for ceasefire in 2003, claiming the lives of 34 civilians and 46 security personnel.
However, since 2002, when highest number of 8,376 incidents of border firing were reported, till 2015, 11,270 incidents of firing by Pakistani troops were reported, this information was given by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in reply to an Un-Starred question by Naresh Kumar Gupta in the Legislative Assembly today.
The reply said 180 houses have been damaged due to cross border firing during 2002 to 2015 and ex-gratia as per norms has been provided in respect of death, injuries and permanent disability to civilians. Besides compensation to immovable property is being paid.
However, in the event of Cross Border Firing, the affected border population is shifted to the safer places in Government buildings and private accommodations where they are provided all basic amenities till the restoration of normalcy on the borders.
The reply said for the safety and security of border population, under the Pilot Project of Ministry of Home Affairs, construction of 60 Community Type Bunkers in the border villages of district Jammu is under progress.

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