New Delhi, June 30: In the backdrop of the spiralling violence in J&K, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram extended his full support to J&K CM Omar Abdullah on Tuesday who said that anti-national elements were behind the incidents in the Valley.
“There are reliable reports that anti-national elements are trying to exploit the situation. Some militants may also have sneaked into the valley to trigger violence,” he said, adding that “parents should ensure that their children should stay indoors during curfew.”
“It is not a simple law and order situation. It is battle of ideas and ideologies. Various anti-national forces and vested interests have come together to foment trouble. It is extremely unfortunate that vulnerable youth are being incited and brought to forefront resulting in tragic incidents”, Omar told reporters here this evening.
Chidambaram said he “endorsed every word” of the statement by Abdullah on the situation in Kashmir valley. He is likely to visit the state on July 2 to review the law and order situation there.
Official sources said the para-military men have been sent by special planes for maintaining law and order and for safe conduct of the yatra.
The annual pilgrimage to the 3,888 meter high Amarnath cave in south Kashmir will begin from Baltal and Pahalgam and will conclude on August 24, the day of Sharvan Purnima.
Omar and Chidambaram also spoke of security forces needing to observe maximum restraint and people to observe curfew regulations wherever it is imposed.
“The people should respect curfew and remain in their houses and do not allow their children to engage security forces. Security forces have been told to exercise restraint but they will have to impose curfew so that situation returns to normal”, Omar added.
“It requires two hands to clap,” he said appealing to people of the valley to cooperate with the government in restoring peace.
Chidambaram said he has reiterated the instructions to the CRPF to observe “maximum restraint” while dealing with rioters and stone pelters. He also appealed to people of J and K to respect the law.
Omar addressed the media after a meeting with Governor N N Vohra during which he discussed the prevailing situation.
Three youth were killed and two others critically injured in south Kashmir’s Anantnag town today when security men fired on protesters who had attacked their vehicle, police said. Curfew has been clamped in Sopore and Baramulla to restore peace, the CM informed.
Tension gripped Anantnag town and adjacent areas as the news about the deaths spread there.
Agitated mobs smashed ambulances, government properties and pelted rocks and stones at the deployed security men in and around the town in the wake of the youth’s killings.
The situation in south Kashmir has worsened after the incident although during the last four days, it was relatively peaceful in comparison to Srinagar and the north Kashmir area.
-Agencies