Army not an occupying force in J

Jammu, Apr 9 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir BJP today accused the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of trying to propagate the message that the Army has been an ''occupying force'' in the state, by continuously demanding troop reduction in one way or the other.

''They (PDP) wants to convey a message to the international community that Indian security forces are occupying Jammu and Kashmir,'' former BJP state president Dr Nirmal Singh told a press conference at the party headquarters here.

The senior BJP leader accused the PDP of speaking on behalf of ''militants as well as Pakistani establishment'' and trying to ''politicise the Army''.

''The common people of the state, Hindus and Muslims both, are not against the deployment of Army and para-military forces,'' Dr Singh said.

Referring to the recent massacre of five migrant labourers in Rajouri district, he said it was all because of ''scarcity of security forces'' in that area.

The BJP leader, who paid a two-day visit to review the situation in Rajouri, said the people were living ''under fear'' from terrorists and 12 Hindu families have escaped to ''safer places''.

UNI