Uproar in J&K assembly over Kathua deaths

Protests continued in Jammu over the death of three civilians in Billawar area of Kathua even as BJP leader Sunil Sharma informed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been monitoring the situation.

The LG administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident, but locals have demanded action against the police officials and setting up of Village Defence Guards (VDG) in the area. The VDG, formerly known as Village Defence Committee, is a civilian militia first established in the mid-1990s in Chenab Valley of Jammu division to counter the militancy in remote hilly villages along the Line of Control. The districts of Kathua, Samba, Doda and Kishtwar in Jammu, which were peaceful for two decades, have reported several militant incidents over the past two years.

During the ongoing budget session of J&K Assembly, the legislators protested against the deaths and demanded swift action. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and it cannot be debated further in the assembly.


“I spoke with Home Minister sahib for the past three days and he is continuously monitoring the situation. He told me that Union Home Secretary and Director Intelligence Bureau was sent to assess the situation on ground,” leader of the BJP in the J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma informed the House.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the House that it was interesting to note that police allowed BJP leaders to visit the spot but did not allow the Deputy Chief Minister from the ruling National Conference to visit Billawar citing the sensitive situation at the spot.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti also informed that she was not allowed to travel to the spot. “We would have understood if nobody was allowed to go there. Only BJP leaders have been allowed to visit the spot. We fear that the situation might be exploited by the communal forces which the administration should ensure should not happen,” Mufti told reporters in Jammu.

A group of youth Congress members also protested in Jammu demanding action against the people involved in the deaths of the three civilians, including a teenager. “Where is the normalcy BJP claims to have brought back to J&K? We are witnessing terror incidents in areas of Jammu which were peaceful for the last two decades,” said a Congress member.

Meanwhile, locals in Kathua informed that two more youth –– Muhammad Din and Rehman Ali –– are missing for the past few days and officials have started a search operation