DEMONIZING CRPF-FIGHT DISINFORMATION WAR

CRPF DG Challenges Kashmir Police on Clean Chit to Shopian Youth Authint Mail | September 30, 2013 - 10:21 PM | Section: Kashmir | SRINAGAR — Special Director General, CRPF, DK Phatak Monday contradicted the police claims that the three youth killed by CRPF in Gagren village of Indian administered Kashmir on September 7 had no past record of militancy. “The claims of their innocence are baseless. One was them was a dreaded Pakistani militant Abdullah Haroon while the three youth killed with him were his associates,” Phatak told Srinagar based CNS news agency. “They were messengers and carriers of Haroon. We had inputs that these youth were in constant touch with him. Why on earth would CRPF personnel kill innocent people? The fact is that these youth were accompanying Haroon and attacked CRPF personnel outside the camp,” he claimed. He also said that the civil unrest in 2010 against Indian rule in Kashmir was not orchestrated by any agency. “What VK Singh has revealed should be probed. He would be the best person to throw light on the matters related to Jammu and Kashmir. During 2010, our men retaliated only when things went out of control. Our job was to maintain law and order and deal with the frenzy mob,” he said. Phatak told the agency that it was wrong to blame CRPF for everything. “Allegations are being levelled against our men that they smash windowpanes and beat people ruthlessly. These allegations are baseless and need to be probed,” he said. “Stone-pelters have damaged 252 CRPF vehicles since February when Muhammad Afzal Guroo was executed. During the stone-pelting incidents from February to September, 638 CRPF personnel suffered injuries. Some of our men received fatal injuries. Between Ram Bagh and Hyderpora, stone-pelters attacked one of our convoy and damaged 7 vehicles completely while one of the drivers of CRPF vehicle suffered grave head injuries,” he said. “Our troops have always exercised maximum restraint during stone-pelting incidents,” he said. Pathak said the relocation of CRPF’s Gagren camp was decided before September 7 incident, “It had been already decided that Gagrin Camp would be relocated to district police lines building. The state government had conveyed this decision to us before the Gagren incident,” he said