Mehbooba Mufti demands sacking of J&K DGP R R Swain over rising terror attacks

Mufti's comments followed Swain's statement on Monday, where he claimed that mainstream political leaders in J&K frequently visited the homes of slain terrorists and publicly sympathised with their families.

Srinagar: A day after Jammu and Kashmir police chief R R Swain accused political parties in the Union Territory of fostering terror leaders for electoral gains, PDP President and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti demanded his sacking over rising terrorist attacks.

“The Home Minister and the Defence Minister should take note of the terror attacks and casualties in Jammu and Kashmir and ensure accountability. The highest number of casualties have been reported since the deployment of the current DGP," Mehbooba asserted.

Criticising the DGP's remarks, she questioned the effectiveness of his and the central government's actions over the past six years. “Our jawans are being killed daily on the border. They (New Delhi) prefer to blame mainstream parties,” she said.

Mehbooba accused the DGP of political maneuvering rather than fulfilling his duties. “The current DGP is busy with political tasks, aiming to dismantle the PDP and harass people and journalists. We need a DGP, not a fixer. Previous DGPs from other states performed well without such communal bias,” she alleged.

Her comments followed Swain's statement on Monday, where he claimed that mainstream political leaders in J&K frequently visited the homes of slain terrorists and publicly sympathised with their families.

The police chief was referring to Mehbooba’s visits to the families of the slain militants and victims since late 1990’s, which turned south Kashmir as her party’s stronghold.

Addressing students at an orientation program at the Indian Institute of Management in Jammu, Swain alleged that Pakistan had infiltrated key aspects of civil society with the help of regional politics in the Valley.

“There is ample evidence showing that many leaders have mastered the art of 'running with the hare and hunting with the hound,' leaving both the common man and security forces bewildered and confused," he added.

Swain continued his critique, stating, "While the elimination of new recruits in terrorism was allowed and encouraged, those who facilitated recruitment and arranged finances were never investigated... SP rank officers were arrested and jailed alongside terrorists for crimes they never committed.”