Pulwama attack: Rajnath hints at insider collusion; promises review of security in state

SRINAGAR: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the plans of outside powers to spread militancy in J&K from across the Line of Control (LOC) will in no way be allowed to succeed.

Singh, who was in Srinagar to assess the situation in the wake of the Pulwama attack by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which claimed 40 CRPF lives on Thursday, said “There are reasons to believe that some people in J&K were in collusion with militants and Pakistan based ISI and the attack was a result of this”. Without naming anybody he added, “some elements in Kashmir are known to be on direct payroll of the ISI and the government would now review their security”. 

Earlier, Singh attended a ceremony at RTC Humhama on the outskirts of Srinagar where the bodies of jawans had been brought and shouldered the tricolour-draped coffin of one of the fallen. 

Reacting to the minister’s statement, former Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah suggested the use of specially chartered trains for movement of security forces between Banihal and Baramulla. 

“They will be able to move at high speeds nonstop & they will be much safer than convoys. Also, highways will be available for civilian traffic,” Omar tweeted. Former CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti tweeted too, saying, “Stunned at his refusal to acknowledge grave security lapse despite intelligence inputs. Why were 2000 CRPF men allowed to travel in a convoy? Is air travel only for political elites? Defies common sense. Easy to blame us. J&K under Guv rule so he can’t abdicate responsibility,” she said

Meanwhile, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik said people and the leadership of Kashmir regret every killing. 

“As we witness killing of our loved ones, our young, and shoulder their coffins each day we can feel and understand the pain and sense of loss that the family and friends of those who are killed go through. The silent grief and loss stay with them for a lifetime,” the three leaders said. 

They said the delay in resolution of Kashmir dispute, denial to engage with sentiments and aspirations of J&K people and use of the muscular military approach to counter an essentially political and human problem, is wreaking havoc in Kashmir.