Azad for strengthening troops in J

Jammu, Mar 31 (UNI) Assuring tough stand against militants, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said, ''creation of the false impression regarding demilitarisation and reduction of troops will not be allowed to befool people.'' Mr Azad strongly ruled out any demilitarisation or reduction of forces in the state and assured all possible measures to protect the life and property of people.

The Chief Minister visited soulki, near Kalakote in Rajouri district, where militants had killed five innocent labourers on Thursday night and interacted with members of the bereaved families.

I have, from the very beginning, made it clear that we should not come under the hide and seek trap of militants and raise such issues which directly help them,'' he said.

Mr Azad said his refusal to demilitarisation and reduction of troops was based on ground realities and was appreciated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders as well.

''No political party should unnecessarily make security issues their political tool as it involves lives of innocent people,'' Mr Azad said, adding he would never like to play ''politics'' with bodies and blood of innocent people.

He advised all ''responsible parties'' to exclusively devote their energy to the welfare of people and leave sensitive'' security issues to officers concerned ''who better know the requirement of deployments and relocations''.

The Rajouri massacre and the grenade attack on Kishtwar police station last night, were ''real lessons'' for those who claimed to have eliminated militancy in the state, he said.

''People are required to be fed with facts and realities rather than complex cobweb of falsehood,'' Mr Azad added.

The Chief Minister favoured security forces being tough with militants and soft towards innocent people. ''This demarcation line is required to be strictly maintained,'' he said.

Mr Azad advised the political parties not to defame ''good and remarkable'' works done by security forces while protecting lives and properties of people in JK. ''Therefore, any premature attempt of sending them back to barracks is not yet feasible or realistic, he added'' He said the Village Defence Committees (VDC's) would be strengthened in Rajouri and Poonch districts. He called upon people to maintain communal harmony and strengthen unity and brotherhood to foil the designs of militants and face the challenge effectively.

Mr Azad expressed sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls of victims.

As an ex-gratia relief, he said Rs 1 lakh would be given to the next of kin of each deceased while jobs would be provided to them expeditiously.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Minister for Health and Medical Education Mangat Ram Sharma, Minister of State for Industries and commerce Romesh Chander Sharma, Divisional Commissioner, (Jammu), Pramod Jain and Inspector General of Police, (Jammu Zone, S P Vaid.

UNI