Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami on Friday denied having received any report which puts the blame of stoking the fire in Kishtwar on the right wing members of the Bajrang Dal.
Addressing a Press conference at the Octroi post in Suchetgarh area of RS Pura sector in Jammu, Goswami made it clear he has not received any report as late as on Thursday evening in his office. “Nor I have heard anything about such a report. When I will go back I will check whether there is any report,” Goswami told reporters.
The Union Home Secretary was responding to a direct question whether the Union Home Ministry has received any report from the Jammu & Kashmir Government or any other Intelligence agency which had talked about the involvement of Bajrang Dal activists in inciting violence in Kishtwar on August 9 after the Eid prayers.
Media reports in the national Press had earlier claimed that Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram had informed the Cabinet that the intelligence agencies have informed the Government about the role of Bajrang Dal activists in
stoking violence in Kishtwar. Three persons were killed and over 30 others were injured in the daylong incidents of violence after the Eid prayers.
Contradictions have also surfaced over the statements made by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Kishtwar violence.
Defending the role played by Sajjad Kitchloo to contain the violence, Azad had claimed that Sajjad Kitchloo and Deputy Commissioner were chased to the Dak Bungalow.
In contrast, former J&K MoS Home Sajjad Kitchloo had not uttered a single word. He told media repeatedly while recording a series of interviews that after offering Eid prayers when he noticed some unrest at a safe distance from Chowgam where Eid prayers were held he
directed both Deputy Commissioner and SP of Kishtwar to look into the matter.
“When I was informed by the officers that there is stone-pelting going on, I directed the police officers present there to organise smooth disbursal of worshipers to prevent any stampede in the area,” he said.