Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor’s administration is feeling cornered over the issue of protesting migrant Pandit employees, who are demanding relocation from the Kashmir Valley to the Jammu province in the wake of nine killings of Pandits, Jammu employees and non-locals by militants earlier this year.
Days after J&K L-G Manoj Sinha hardened his stand on protesting Pandit employees in Jammu by warning them that they may not get their salaries if they don’t resume their duties in the Kashmir Valley, the Democratic Azad Party (DAP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan (DSS) have supported the relocation demand of the Kashmiri Pandits.
“The government must ensure their (Pandits) safety and security. Our Pandit brethren have been protesting for several months after facing attacks in Kashmir. All they demand is safety and security and the government should consider their demands,” DAP chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also asked the L-G administration to “have a patient hearing of the Pandits’ issue and a timely redressal”. “Rather than issuing diktats, the L-G administration should accept their demand of relocation till the situation improves.”
DSS chairman and former Member of Parliament Choudhary Lal Singh said, “The government instead of providing some kind of relief to the agitating employees has started threatening them of stopping their salaries. We are firmly with the genuine cause of these Jammu-based employees and Kashmiri Pandits.”
Over 5,500 Pandit employees, who had opted for Kashmir postings under a special employment package, left the Kashmir Valley this year. The fresh migration came after the militants killed four Pandits, two Jammu residents and three non-locals in multiple attacks.
