New Delhi:
The Kashmir Valley is tense after two more civilians, including a young boy, were allegedly killed in CRPF firing on Monday.
With the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) coming under attack for the death of civilians in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Secretary G K Pillai has said that, people who break curfew and attack police posts cannot be termed as "innocent civilians".
The Home Secretary also said that the CRPF has shown considerable restraint in handling the situation. "I think there is a misnomer of civilians getting killed. If you see these are people attacking police stations... people who are attacking police pickets. You have really an unruly mob attacking a CRPF post. And then the CRPF in self-defence having to fire. I think they have shown considerable restrain. In fact only one person was killed...I mean it is regrettable...but they have exercised utmost restraint. In a place where curfew is imposed, if people break the curfew that is an illegal action. And then they go ahead and attack the police post and CRPF post. I don't think that you can call them by any stretch of imagination as innocent lives," he said.
When asked about the death of innocents, like that of the young boy who was killed in the clashes on Monday, the Home Secretary said that the blame should be put on those who put teenagers on the front lines. "The organisers of these mobs are in a sense willing to put teenagers in front, I think they have to be blamed. Teenagers should realise that they are just being exploited by those who are doing these," he said.