NL Correspondent
Srinagar: Government on Thursday said that the CRPF had maintained maximum restrain while responding to the firing from the militants during the Pampore attack.
While terming the death of eight CRPF personnel at Pampore as a ‘supreme sacrifice', Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh said that the personnel of CRPF had presented an ‘extraordinary valor' by maintaining maximum restraint, despite ambush by militants.
“If CRPF would have retaliated to the attack, there had been civilian killing. But the security personnel maintained restraint and did not fire a single shot despite seeing their colleagues dying,” Dy CM said while referring to Pampore attack.
He added that the House should appreciate the ‘supreme sacrifice' of the CRPF personnel, who gave away their lives, but did not harm the civilians.
“I appreciate this house for expressing concern over the death of security forces. Moreover, everyone in the house should appreciate CRPF personnel for maintaining restraint, as the attack was carried in civilian populated area and any retaliation from the CRPF side would have caused civilian massacre,” he responded to the query of opposition regarding government's response over grave security situation in the state.
He further said that to prevent such incidents in future, the police and security forces have been put on high alert. “State government condemns such militant attacks,” the Dy CM said.
However, unhappy over the response of the government, opposition legislators, including National Conference and Congress mocked Dy CM for ‘hoodwinking' people and the house.
“The answer of the government is contained only up to specific issue, when the question was asked about the overall security situation of the state, which is also cause of concern for the center,” NC lawmaker-Ali Mohammad Sagar asserted and said that this government is ‘hoodwinking' this house as well as people of the state.
Meanwhile, NC legislator Devinder Singh Rana said that the government has ‘disrespected' the sanctity of the chair by snubbing directions from the speaker.
“The chair yesterday directed the state government to provide comprehensive reply on the overall security situation of the state, but this government specified its answer, which is unfortunate,” said Rana.
While the opposition was castigating the government for its selective reply, BJP-PDP legislators reacted to the opposition's ire and amid din, opposition staged walkout.
