Suhail Dar
The Jammu Kashmir administration on Sunday morning downgraded the security of former Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in South Kashmir.
The security cover of two former MLAs, Syed Abdul Rashid, former minister and MLA from Kokernag (JKNC), and Abdul Majid Mir, former MLA Shangus was downgraded on Sunday morning.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Abdul Majeed Mir- former MLA Shangus and a resident of Achabal area in Anantnag said that on Sunday morning his security cover was picked up. “I did not get any official document, but I had a sense of this development as soon as I joined the People’s Democratic Party,” he said.
He said that after his house was attacked twice in 2017 and 2018, his security cover was upgraded. He was also attacked in the year 2002 during an election rally. “I have no idea why my security cover has been downgraded from over ten people to two. I do not live in a protected colony or a high-security zone. I live here among my people in a busy locality,” former MLA Shangus said.
He said that he got a call on Saturday that his security was being withdrawn and on Sunday morning his security cover was downgraded. he said, “I was not even informed of the reasons or not even told whose decision it was.”
Earlier this month senior Congress leader, Ghulam Ahmed Mir said the security of senior party functionaries including former legislators, ministers, former Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, and former Members of Parliament was downgraded, exposing them to the danger of militant attacks.
He alleged that when the admin was reducing the security cover of elected members of the legislative assembly, On the other hand, the government’s “created stooges” are free to meet the public all the seven days of the week. “They are enjoying security and accommodation but the people are wise enough and they will decide their fate (during elections),” the Congress leader said.
Sources meanwhile said that the security cover of former MLA Syed Abdul Rashid was also downgraded. Syed Abdul Rashid, a member of Jammu Kashmir National conference had won the elections for Anantnag’s Kokernag constituency in the year 1996.
Earlier this year, Jammu Kashmir administration decided to downgrade the security and protocol of all the former chief ministers of the erstwhile state.
On Saturday, Lok Sabha member and former chief minister of Jammu Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah was spotted offering prayers at the the Sufi Khanqah of Dastgeer Sahab in Khanyar Srinagar, but there was neither a jammer nor an ambulance.
The jammers help block signals in case of an improvised explosive device that can be triggered by remote control while as the ambulance is provided to attend to medical emergencies during travel.
The Jammu Kashmir administration Special Security Group (SSG) was established in the year 2020 to provide protection to Ministers and chief ministers.
After the abrogation of Article 370, the Centre issued a gazette notification Jammu Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of State Laws) order- 2020, on March 31, 2020, under which it amended a clause of the Special Security Group Act of the erstwhile Jammu Kashmir government. The clause provided former chief ministers and their families with SSG cover.
The officials said the numbers of SSG were being reduced to the ‘bare minimum’. The group will be headed by an officer below the rank of superintendent of police as against a director, who is in the rank of an inspector general of police or above.
In April 2019, The Jammu Kashmir administration withdrew or downgraded security cover of more than 700 mainstream political leaders, former ministers and former legislators.