SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said that had the security forces which raided a militant hideout in Kokernag in Anantnag on July 8 and killed three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen cadres known beforehand that Burhan Muzaffar Wani was among them “they may have given him a second chance”.
The killing of Burhan, the new-age poster boy of militancy, set off widespread protests and mob violence across the Valley leaving more than 50 people and two policemen dead and thousands injured. Clashes amidst curfews have continued.
Ms Mufti said that she was not aware of the operation carried out jointly by J&K police’s counter-insurgency Special Operations Group and Army’s 19 Rashtriya Rifles at Bamdoora Kokernag. “How would you know that,” she asked.
CID says CM is informed about the operations
Ms Mufti was speaking to reporters after addressing a rally of her People’s Democratic Party here. A national newspaper had earlier this week reported that the Chief Minister was informed, in writing, of the June 8 raid as well as an operation targeting Burhan Wani in March.
Earlier J&K’s additional director-general of police (CID) S.M. Sahai had on being asked if the Chief Minister knew about the operation beforehand told reporters here, “The Chief Minister, as home minister, is informed of all the activities.”
But Ms Mufti again feigned ignorance and said that she did not know beforehand about the security forces taking Burhan out dead during the operation.
“I spoke to the police. I spoke to the Army. My information is that they were not knowing about who are the militant hiding in that house before raiding it. Had they known about the presence of Burhan they may have given him another chance,” she said.
She added that since the situation on ground had improved considerably giving a second chance to Burhan was an option in order to avoid the situation the Valley has been caught in in the aftermath of his killing.
She said her predecessor Omar Abdullah was informed about the decision and timing of Parliament att-ack convict Afzal Guru’s hanging and, therefore, his government prepared to brace the situation. “I didn’t know about Burhan killing but when I came to know about it we quickly imposed curfew at various places,”she said.
Meanwhile, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are bracing for another day of anxiety. Separatists have called for ‘Jamia Masjid Chalo’ and asked the people to converge in large numbers at Srinagar’s historic Grand Mosque on Friday for a memorial service for over 50 people killed in security forces’ firings. On Thursday evening fresh clashes erupted in the Valley leaving, at least, half a dozen protesters injured.
