Amidst tension and scare following the deployment of additional paramilitary forces in Kashmir and detention of some separatists and fundamental elements in the valley, Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday appealed to people not to believe rumours and said the induction of security forces should not be attributed to any other reason as the step has been taken following the terror strike in Pulwama and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Governor’s appeal came after he reviewed the situation in an informal meeting of the State Administrative Council (SAC).

It is worth mentioning that the atmosphere in the valley is ridden with tension and panic following the induction of 10,000 additional troops of BSF, CRPF, ITBP, and SSB. Various political leaders were also sharing rather rabble-rousing posts on social media.

The Governor appealed to the people to remain calm and not to believe in rumours of any extreme nature which are circulating widely in some quarters. These rumours are unnecessarily creating an atmosphere of fear in the minds of people, leading to stress and disruption in normal life.

Rumours about curfews and other actions should not be believed. There is some security related action being taken by the forces, but this is purely related to the Pulwama attack which is an unprecedented one. The response of the security forces is guided solely by the need to counter both the impact and any further action that may be taken by terrorist groups who are still out to disrupt our country and its democratic processes, the Governor said.

After the Pulwama incident, the security concerns in this regard are much higher with the possibility of terrorist organisations increasing their activities against candidates and voters on a much bigger scale.

The authorities informed the Governor that the general elections are imminent and the state requires security forces in a large number. Normally, forces are inducted a month before elections so that they settle down and familiarise with the ground situation. It is in this context that 100 companies of Central Forces are being inducted into the State at the moment. This is less than the actual additional forces required and more would be inducted in the coming weeks.

Referring to the safety of Kashmiri students and others residing outside the state, Malik said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given directions for the safety of Kashmiris. Over 22,000 Kashmiri students are studying elsewhere in the country and the number of students actually injured or hurt in incidents of harassment was not even in single digit. Liaison officers have been nominated and helplines established for the safety of Kashmiri students.

The Governor accused the media of exaggerating a few stray incidents which led to the excessive reaction in the valley. The SAC was also informed that the supply situation of petroleum and other products in the Kashmir Valley is critically low and the government has taken steps to meet the stock position.