Shifting Army to Ladakh weakened security grid in Jammu: CM Omar

Jammu, Mar 29: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday said that moving the Army from Jammu to Ladakh after aggression by China (in Galwan Valley) weakened the effective security grid, leading to spurt in terror activities in the region.

However, it (security) would be bolstered in the days to come, he said.

He also said that some more steps were still needed to bring an improvement in the situation and restore complete peace.

After visiting the residence of Selection Grade Constable Tariq Ahmed in Reasi, the CM was responding to media queries regarding spurt in terror activities in Jammu region in the recent past.

Tariq was among four J&K Police personnel who were killed in the line of duty in the Kathua encounter.

“Under SRO 43, the Next of Kin (NoK) of a person, who loses life in the line of service (or during service) or becomes a victim of militancy, is given a job. Today I visited the residences of J&K Police personnel to share condolences and also tried to find out as to who could be given the job (under SRO 43). The widow of the Policeman is a graduate. She is educated. She will have the first right to claim (benefit under SRO 43),” the CM Omar said.

“So, after Eid, when the government offices will open and start functioning; the Home Department will process this case of all the four valorous Police personnel, who lost their lives in this incident (encounter). Their NoK will be given benefits of job under SRO 43 and other relief, whatever is due to them (under law),” he said.

“However, our endeavour should have been not to allow the occurrence of incidents of this nature and we are able to contain militancy in such a way which can effectively break this chain of grief by ending this cycle of terror, forever, in J&K,” CM Omar said.

About the grey areas in efforts containing terrorism and what efforts should be taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs in this connection, he said, “At this moment, one cannot say - who they were. However, one can definitely guess as this has happened in the past as well. I believe, though I did not get any intelligence report, seemingly they were (part of) a new group, which crossed (infiltrated) to this side.”

CM Omar said it should be considered as a good fortune that they (infiltrators) happened to face Police in the very first instance.

“Had the Police not encountered them immediately and had they (infiltrators) been successful in entering the interior areas, one could not conjecture what they would have done. Our four valiant Police personnel were killed in the line of duty but I believe they saved many innocent lives. As far as further investigation is concerned, the concerned agencies will definitely do their task,” he said.

On the new trend of Jammu (region) emerging as the core of infiltration instead of the (Kashmir) Valley, the CM said that it was not a new phenomenon.

“During the past three to four years, one has witnessed these kinds of incidents in many parts of Jammu (region). In Reasi district also, the yatri bus was attacked; Jammu city faced (terror) attacks,” he said.

CM Omar said that shifting of Army from Jammu region to Ladakh in the aftermath of Chinese aggression in Galwan Valley weakened the security grid (in Jammu region) and was the reason behind spurt in terror activities in the region in the recent past.

“Reason behind it (spurt in terror activities) is that when China launched an offensive in Ladakh or infiltrated there (in Galwan Valley); (to counter that) we needed (additional deployment of) an Army. We could not remove the Army from Kashmir. So, as an immediate action, the Army deployed in Jammu (region) was moved to Ladakh. Due to this, to some extent, the security grid weakened here. This shortcoming will be removed and the grid will be bolstered slowly and steadily,” he said.

When his attention was sought towards public outrage in Kathua following deaths in the encounter, questioning claims about elimination of terrorism after Article 370 abrogation, he refused to make any comment, saying, “Today, at this moment, I would not make a political statement. Later we will deliberate and comment on it.”

On whether he felt improvement in the situation in Kashmir, the CM said, “Leave this issue also today. If I answer this question, I will be blamed for doing politics on this account. Leave it; we will not discuss the situation in Jammu or in the Valley. We have just come out of a house which is in mourning and where grief is all pervasive. Today I have visited four such places and have shared my condolences with the bereaved families. Obviously, to ensure restoration of complete peace, we will have to take some more steps to bring an improvement in the situation.”

Later, the CM again paid glowing homage to the four J&K Police personnel and posted on X, “Visited the families of our bravehearts – Balvinder Singh, Tariq Ahmed, Jaswant Singh and Jagbir Singh – who laid down their lives in the line of duty during the Kathua encounter. Their sacrifice is etched in our hearts forever. We stand with their families in this hour of grief.”