J&K BJP urges LG to conduct ‘security audit’ of minority areas, migrant camps in Kashmir

PTI, Nov 16, 2021, 5:28 PM IST

In the wake of alleged selective killings of minority community people by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP Tuesday demanded a comprehensive security audit of minority areas and transit camps housing Kashmiri Pandit employees in the Valley.

The demand was raised by J&K BJP spokesperson and former legislator Girdhari Lal Raina in a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhawan here.

Raina also sought resolution of teething problems troubling the displaced community, in particular those related to the security of religious minorities of Kashmir including employees recruited under the prime minister’s employment package.

As many as 11 people from the minority community were killed in Jammu and Kashmir last month in alleged selective attacks by terrorists.

”We demand issuance of an order for a complete and comprehensive security audit of areas where religious minorities live in Kashmir including transit camps for PM package employees,” Raina said in a statement here.

”Till the time secure accommodation for minority employees is arranged and their harassment by officers stopped, these employees be asked to work from home,” the BJP spokesperson said.

Raina also demanded a comprehensive security audit of pockets inhabited by minority communities and transit camps.

He said the latest spree of targeted and selective killings of minority persons in the valley have dealt a blow to the hopes, aspirations and composure of the minority community.

The BJP spokesperson stressed the importance of immediate, effective, visible and measurable actions, including a dialogue with the community leadership to reassure the stressed community.

He further asked the LG for a comprehensive affordable and reassuring insurance scheme for all these employees to be provided as a compensatory safety measure alongside risk allowance at the rate paid to local employees of LIC of India in Kashmir valley.

With regard to the removal of illegal encroachments, he said, ”A narrative is being pushed by vested interests to discredit the recent laudatory effort of the UT administration to remove illegal encroachments from the property of the displaced community”.

He said that illegitimate beneficiaries of these unlawful encroachments and unethical coercive sales are joining hands. He said ”distress sale” under the Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection and Restraint on Distress Sales Act needs to be defined comprehensively to avoid arbitrary disposal of complaints. ”This will put to rest fake propaganda”. He demanded institution of an in-depth enquiry into coercive sales of land that originally belonged to KPs but was taken away in 1990s through manipulative sales and later resold to government at much higher rates”.