Srinagar, Aug 1 (IANS) J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday chaired a high‑level security meeting and directed intensified, high‑impact anti‑terror operations to neutralise terrorists in the wake of the Kulgam attack, which left two non-local labourers dead.
The Lieutenant Governor asked all Deputy Commissioners and SSPs to conduct a comprehensive review of Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) established to protect labourers from outside Jammu and Kashmir.
He also directed employers to ensure that workers from other states are provided insurance and that their details are registered with local police and district authorities.
Sinha instructed officials to ensure dignified last rites for the victims of the Kulgam attack and to provide full support to the bereaved families.
The meeting also reviewed security arrangements for the ongoing Shri Amarnathji Yatra and measures to strengthen the security grid.
The security meeting comes in the wake of the Kulgam attack on Friday.
The death toll in the attack in Kellam village of the district rose to two on Saturday as authorities said the second injured labourer from Chhattisgarh succumbed to critical injuries in a Srinagar hospital in the morning.
The deceased have been identified as Deepak Rattray (24), son of Uma Shankar, and Bopinder (28), son of Dasrar, both residents of Chhattisgarh working as migrant labourers in a brick kiln in Kellam village of Kulgam district.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, condemned the Kulgam attack and announced ex gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh each to the next of kin of the two victims.
Omar Abdullah sanctioned the ex gratia relief from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Also, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, strongly condemned the attack, describing the incident as “extremely tragic” and calling for the strictest action against those responsible.
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also strongly condemned the attack in Kulgam, accusing Pakistan of attempting to disrupt peace and economic progress in the Union Territory.
Party leaders asserted that such acts of terrorism would not go unanswered and reaffirmed their confidence in the security forces’ response.
Reacting to the incident, J&K BJP President Sat Sharma told IANS that Pakistan was attempting to derail the improving situation in Jammu and Kashmir by sponsoring terrorism.
“Pakistan does not want peace to prevail in Jammu and Kashmir in any way, especially in Kashmir, where the economic situation has improved. Pakistan believes that if its own people are suffering from hunger, a similar atmosphere should exist in Jammu and Kashmir as well,” Sharma said.
–IANS
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