SRINAGAR: The Director General of Police, Ashok Prasad has said that that the recent wave of protests in parts of the valley was being sponsored from across the border.
He said the government is planning to slap Public Safety Act (PSA) against ‘hardcore separatist leaders’ who he said were instigating people for protests stone throwing.
“We don’t deny the fact that every individual has the right to peaceful protests in a democracy, but that does not mean we should allow him to violate the constitutional rights and create law and order problems”, Prasad told a local news agency, KNS.
He said that “99 percent people didn’t want the disturbance to prevail”.
“We have a very promising tourist season ahead. 30 flights would be operating daily from Srinagar Airport next week onwards. Our schools have reopened and it is time to allow our children their schooling,” he said.
The police chief justified imposition of curfew, but asked people not to test the patience of police.
“Almost 500 policemen have sustained injuries by showing restraint in their action against stone pelters, only to safeguard life and property of public.
But people must realize that they (policemen) are also humans and how long can they continue to be patient,” he said.
The police chief asked parents to dissuade their children from throwing stones. He said the spree of arrests of youth would continue until police was convinced that everything was back on track.
