STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Army veterans have openly come out to denounce the goof-up of Director General Police Dr S. P Vaid over his ‘diversionary statement’ on the FIR lodged against a Major of 10 Garhwal Unit that came under severe attack of stone pelters in a Shopian village.
Panicked over the death of three stone-pelters in the firing in self-defence, the police rushed to lodge an FIR against the Army and in the process exposed its bias by naming a Major, which created uproar across the country. Sensing the fall-out of the FIR, the DGP claimed in a press conference that no Army personnel had been named, contrary to the fact that Major Army figured in it. This evoked angry reaction from the political spectrum, civil society and the Army veterans, which is continuing unabated.
Captain Bana Singh, Param Vir Chakra awardee said “Sometimes police officers in J&K act like puppets of separatists as huge battalions of policemen have been deployed with them for security. “They sing Pakistani tunes and our officers are providing them security under so-called appeasement policy. Now to appease them more, J&K police has started naming Army personnel in FIRs . Major Aditya’s name in the FIR wherein two stone pelters were killed is a matter of shame. And, moreover, DGP Dr S P Vaid’s clear denial that FIR contains no name is mockery of the system”, he said.
“Firstly DGP must apologise for giving misleading statement and secondly he should immediately withdraw the name of Major Aditya from FIR registered under sections like 302 CrPC. We all retired army men stand with Major Aditya and every jawan who is guarding our country we salute them all”, Captain Bana Singh said.
Col V K Sahi, Vir Chakra, Director, J&K, The War Decorated India said, “How the Army is tackling the situation in Kashmir, at least J&K police knows it well. The million dollar question arises is that who are the police officers who added Major Aditya’s name in the FIR registered under sections of murder ?”. “It seems that sympathizers of stone pelters are very much in J&K police. That’s why stone pelters who raise Pakistani slogans are being spared and names of Army personnel are being included. J&K Policemen have also scarified their lives like Army men in Kashmir. Why our DGP didn’t take action against those policemen who included Major Aditya’s name and then mislead him? On the basis of which DGP Dr S P Vaid said that no name has been included in the FIR”, Col Sahi added.
Col Iqbal Singh said, “Withdraw FIR against Major Aditya, else retired army men will hold a rally in Jammu against police for favouring the separatists’ agenda.”
Indian Army stands for nationalism; world’s largest disciplined force can’t be insulted at the hands of petty police officers, who included Major Aditya’s name in the FIR. It is disgusting that the state police chief openly says that there is no name in the FIR whiles STATE TIMES exposed his false claim by publishing the copy of the FIR which clearly states the name of Major Aditya”, he added.
Col Sham Lal Dogra said, “After registration of FIR against Major Aditya, he has been even called for investigations. If DGP Dr S P Vaid wants to set things in right perceptive, he should say sorry to the Armed forces and withdraw Aditya’s name from the FIR. Major Aditya was on duty and when stone pelters attacked Army convoy, the retaliation in self defence resulted into casualty. Why not to book those who pelted stones? Identify them and book each of them”.
Col D S Salaria said such moves are taken only to demoralize the forces. “But our Army is strongest in the world. Mere an FIR can’t derail our men from doing national duty. Major Aditya’s name in FIR means that the police is under severe political pressure. And more shameful is how police chief says that no one has been named in the FIR. Major’s name must be withdrawn from the FIR as he or his team didn’t attack anyone. It is stone-pelters, who attacked convoy with a motive to damage vehicles and kill army men”, he maintained.