In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to withdraw security cover for top separatist leaders, and 155 “political persons and activists”.
State chief secretary B. V. R. Subrahmanyam presided over the security review meeting, which concluded that providing security to these separatist leaders is a “wastage” of the state’s scare resources, which could be better utilised elsewhere.
A spokesperson said that among the leaders whose security has been withdrawn or downgraded are Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, JKLF chairman Yasin Malik, Aga Syed Mosvi, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Abdul Gani Shah, Yaseen Malik, Shahid ul Islam, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Farooq Ahmed Kichloo, Saleem Geelani, Masroor Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Abul Hussain, and Mohd. Musadiq Bhat.
However, some media reports say that the senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik were not provided with any security by the state government to begin with. Yasin Malik told media in Srinagar that he has no security cover. He was offered one in the past but has refused. “Every time they offered me security, I turned it down. I strongly believe that life and death are in the hands of Allah“, Malik said.
Interestingly, Malik’s name appears in the home department’s list, which said the security cover of 18 separatists was being withdrawn.
The security of 155 political leaders and activists, who did not require the security cover provided to them, was also withdrawn.
According to officials, the list mainly involves leaders from the Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP), an ally of the BJP in the state government till June last year. This includes Shah Faesal, the first IAS topper from Jammu and Kashmir who recently resigned from the civil services and jumped to the political arena, and PDP youth leader Wahid Parra.
In the aftermath of Pulwama, on February 17, the state department decided to withdraw the security provided to 5 separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq. “A decision has been taken to withdraw the security cover of five separatist leaders—Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi, and Shabir Ahmad Shah,” state government sources said.
Opposition Decries Security Withdrawal
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on February 21 condemned the move to withdraw the security cover to mainstream politicians in the Valley and has asked the state government to intervene, failing which the NC would move the court.
“Withdrawal of security to mainstream political workers and office bearers is a retrograde step that will only weaken political activity in the Kashmir Valley,” he said. Waheed Para, a PDP youth leader has said the decision of withdrawing the security cover would make him vulnerable to attacks in the future.
“Withdrawing security is to curtail the political process in Kashmir & they want to make our lives vulnerable. We’ve seen a lot of instances where politicians have been killed & people have been endangered,” ANI, quoted him as saying.
Many political leaders, journalists, activists, and security personnel from the Valley have been killed or targeted in the past by militants for either being the part in the government or supporting it indirectly. Keeping that in view, many people say that withdrawal of security cover of political leaders and office bearers will definitely make them vulnerable and will further hamper and shrink the democratic space in the Valley.
Waheed Para, a PDP youth leader, and Shah Faesal, who is believed to be contesting the upcoming state assembly election from Baramulla constituency, are quite a challenge to the BJP, which ended its alliance with the PDP in the state in June last year.
Is this move (removing security cover of Faesal and Waheed) a political stunt by the BJP to endanger their lives?
Does their political stand thwart BJP from winning the upcoming assembly elections?
(With inputs from a News Agency)