Srinagar, Aug 13: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday questioned the circumstances surrounding a purported threat issued to Kashmiri Pandits ahead of Independence Day, calling for an investigation into its source and asking the Union Home Ministry to examine the matter.
Talking to reporters, Abdullah said the security arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir were under the Lieutenant Governor and questioned why the authorities had not yet established who issued the threat and from where it originated.
“There is something not right here,” Abdullah said, using the expression “Daal mein kuch kaala hai” while reacting to the reported threat.
He said the circumstances surrounding the threat should be investigated and the person or group responsible identified.
“Security is under the Lieutenant Governor. It should be found out where these threats came from and who gave them,” Abdullah said.
Abdullah said he was surprised by the development and cautioned against viewing the security issue only through the prism of the Kashmiri Pandit community.
“I am surprised about it. Not only Pandits, other people also stay in the Valley,” he said.
He called upon the Union Home Ministry to look into the matter, saying the circumstances behind the threat needed to be properly established.
His remarks came after reports that security had been tightened in areas of the Valley inhabited by Kashmiri Pandits following circulation of a purported threat letter allegedly naming members of the community and carrying their telephone numbers. Some Pandit employees were reportedly allowed to work from home temporarily as a precautionary measure.
The reported threat has surfaced ahead of the August 15 Independence Day celebrations, when security arrangements are being intensified across Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah’s remarks place the focus not only on protection of those named in the purported letter but also on establishing its authenticity, origin and motive, with the former chief minister seeking scrutiny by the Union Home Ministry. [KNT]
