J&K Police has clear roadmap to eliminate terrorism: DGP Swain

Jammu, Mar 17:  Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain Sunday asserted that the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) had a clear roadmap to eliminate terrorism (in perfect synergy with other security forces) and the objective would be achieved soon with an unflinching determination.

DGP also reiterated commitment to ensure peaceful Lok Sabha polls by ensuring a safe and secure ambience for all stakeholders and level-playing field, as per the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

He was responding to media queries on the sidelines of his “People’s Grievance Redressal programme and interaction initiative” at District Police Lines (DPL), Doda.

When asked about the preparedness of the JKP vis-à-vis security component in parliamentary polls, DGP Swain said, “Election security is a very important matter. There is very strict direction for us by the Election Commission that the entire (poll) exercise should be completely peaceful. Whether it is voter, candidate or the person (agent) engaged in campaigning for any political party – to give everyone a secured ambience, a complete sense of security and ensure level-playing field - is our duty. We have been assigned this responsibility.”

“On that account, we are in touch with the Centre. We will get more central (para-military) forces as per our requirement. Besides, we will also ensure the optimum utilisation of already available forces to fulfill our responsibility in earnest,” he stated.

With regard to a question about the elimination of terrorism in J&K, DGP said that it was not a prudent way to give a deadline.

“There should be no doubt that it would be eliminated. You should have better posed queries as to whether we have a strategy or roadmap to decisively and comprehensively defeat terrorism and going by its pace – what our observation is and to what extent, we have achieved success in our mission. If this is the question, then our answer is – We have an unambiguous, clear stratagem in place (to wipe out terrorism). We will strictly follow that roadmap. There is no question to retract or pull back from that. With clarity in our strategy, we’re determined to eliminate it and we’ll achieve this objective soon,” Swain said.

The police chief said that the SPOs’ concerns figured in the priority-list and he was hopeful that those (SPOs), undertaking operational duties, would soon get benefits they deserved.

Earlier, during the grievance redressal programme, he said that the avowed objective was to address people’s concerns and strengthen their trust in the police force. “I would not mind taking an extra step forward to achieve it,” DGP said.