J&K BJP urges Centre to give free hand to security forces

The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit of Jammu and Kashmir has urged the Union government to give a free hand to security forces to deal with the current situation in the Valley and said no lenience should be shown towards those fomenting trouble.

"We had a meeting with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and submitted him a memorandum in which we have demanded that a free hand should be given to the security forces to deal with the current situation in the Valley," the BJP state president Sat Sharma told reporters in Jammu on Thursday.

He said the party conveyed its appreciations towards Centre's initiative for dialogue with those who believe in 'Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat and Jamhooriyat.'

"The party, through a detailed memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister, suggested no leniency be shown towards trouble makers in the Valley besides putting forth suggestions and demands for bringing peace and normalcy," he said.

"We also demanded that Intelligence grid be strengthened, terrorist should not be allowed to address public rallies, flow of illegal money to boost terrorism be stopped, coordination be strengthened between all security forces, proper security be provided to minorities living in Kashmir, misuse of loudspeaker in mosques be stopped and activities of Jamayat-e-Islami be put under scanner," he said.

He said the party feels that these steps were necessary to bring about peace in the Kashmir Valley.

Sharma also welcomed the decision of the Union government of providing ex-gratia, compensation of rupees five lakh to the families of the victims of cross-border firing, landmines explosions and IED explosions in the border areas.