Top JK brass apprise EU MPs delegation of situation in state

The top police and civil officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday told a delegation of 23 EU MPs that people have been yearning for peace but the terrorists have been continuously threatening them by firing bullets.

During an interaction with the law makers from different European countries, DGP Dilbag Singh said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has been peaceful and the security forces have been handling the law and order effectively and "most importantly in a humane manner".

In the last 84 days, not a single life has been lost, he told the EU parliamentarians, who are on a two-day visit to assess the ground situation in the state.

On August 5, the Union government had revoked the state's special status under Article 370 and split it into two Union Territories of J&K and Laddakh, which will come into existence on October 31.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyamgave also gave a detailed presentation to the delegation on the overall situation in the state, besides answering some questions by its members.

When an EU MP asked how the administration has been handling fake news, Inspector General of Police S P Pani said one of the reasons why the administration has shut down the internet service was to check the circulation of fake news.

"We don't want fake news and rumours. We have been taking up such cases with the Twitter and Facebook after presenting evidence and asking them to remove the disturbing contents, fake tweets and posts.

"But many a time they ask us to route the requests through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) which is a time consuming affairs," he told the EU law makers.

The Twitter and Facebook are based in the United States. Through MLAT, law enforcement agencies of different countries help each other in preventing crime and arrest criminals.

Principal Secretary and JK administration spokesperson Rohit Kansal apprised the parliamentarians of the recent local body elections and the significance of removing Article 370.

The Article 370 was discriminatory, he said.

Kansal said there were 98 incidents of intimidation by militants to people and more than 350 times, terrorists threatened people through posters.

The team of EU MPs also interacted with members of the public, including the newly-elected panchayat members and councillors, at a five-star hotel here.

As the winter chill settled over the city, some of the delegation members also had boating in the famous Dal Lake here.