While the police struggles to equip its men with bulletproof vehicles, the Jammu and Kashmir government is still sparing hundreds of security personnel and spending crores of rupees to guard the separatists in Jammu and Kashmir.
From Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to little-known separatist leader Syed Salim Geelani, around eight secessionists are being provided Z and Y Category security cover by the government in the Valley.
Mirwaiz, whose father Molvi Mohammad Farooq was assassinated by the militants in 1990, has the highest security cover among all the separatists.
The 29-member security detail of Mirwaiz includes 15 Constables, two Head Constables, one Assistant Sub-Inspector, five Personal Security Officers (PSOs), one Sub-Inspector, and one Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Besides, four people including one Head Constable and three Constables are part of his escort team. In addition, the Jammu and Kashmir government has put up four access controls at Mirwaiz's residence and other places.
A bulletproof car has also been allotted to Mirwaiz. Mirwaiz's media secretary Shahid-ul-Islam has also been provided category Y security cover.
His security cover includes five guards from district police lines Srinagar, and four PSOs from the security wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Chairman of his faction of People Conference and Hurriyat Conference executive member Bilal Gani Lone has been provided category Z security cover. He has been assigned one platoon of guards and two PSOs from the security wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Former Hurriyat chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari, Muslim Conference Chairman and former Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat and prominent Shia leader Aga Syed Hassan Budgami has been provided category Z security cover. Under this category, a person is provided four PSOs, a bulletproof car, at least five residential guards, an escort vehicle and necessary equipments as per the security requirements.
What has created quite a buzz is the security cover to lower rung separatist leaders like Syed Salim Geelani who left the Hurriyat Conference few years ago.
Salim has been provided with four guards from district police lines Srinagar and two PSOs from security wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police. "We never asked for the security. It is the government which provided the security," Salim told DNA.
It is Mirwaiz who is at cross hairs after a mob lynched deputy superintendent of police (Dy SP) Mohammed Ayub Pandith when he was performing the security duties at the historic Jamia Masjid during Shab-e-Qadr (night of prayers in Ramzan) on Thursday night.
Following the lynching of Deputy SP Mohammed Ayub Pandith on late Thursday evening, while he was on duty outside Srinagar's historic Jama Masjid, the pressure is mounting on Mehbooba Mufti-led government to withdraw the security of Mirwaiz. "The government should reconsider the decision of providing category Z security to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, whom the slain Dy SP was guarding," said Khalid Jehangir, spokesman of BJP, which is an ally of Mehbooba Mufti-led government.
However, Mirwaiz played down the issue saying that he will react only after government makes any move. "We will not say anything on this (security withdrawal). We will give a reaction when the government takes a decision," Mirwaiz told DNA.
While the Jammu and Kashmir government is spending crores of rupees on the security of eight separatist leaders, cops working in different terror-hit areas are struggling to get the bulletproof (BP) vehicles.
SHO Feroz Ahmad Dar and five other officers were killed at Achabal on June 16, when they were ambushed by a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. All security personnel were travelling in a non-bulletproof vehicle.
So far, only 100 BP vehicles will be inducted by August end. Around 15 to 20 will come in another month's time. Currently, the police in the Valley has around 300 BP vehicles.
"BP vehicles are more important than security of separatists in Kashmir. We have fast-tracked the procurement of the vehicles for our cops," said a senior police officer.
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