"Much Easier" To Work Under Governor's Rule: Jammu And Kashmir Top Cop

Srinagar: Security forces are going to ramp up anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the state's top police officer SP Vaid told NDTV after Governor NN Vohra recommended central rule following the collapse of the BJP-PDP coalition. Mr Vaid also said Governor's rule would make it "much easier" for the police to work.

"Operations will continue. Only thing was in between, during this (ceasefire) period, the operations were stopped. They were going on earlier also, but we will intensify these operations in the days to come. And it would be, I think, much easier to work," Mr Vaid told NDTV in an interview. He was responding to a question on the impact of Governor's rule on the ability of the security establishment to carry out operations.

Hours earlier, the BJP had pulled down the coalition government that it ran along with Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party citing deteriorating security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Governor office later said since no political party intended to form a government, Mr Vohra had decided to impose Governor's rule in the state.

An immediate fallout of the alliance's collapse is expected to be a spike in anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Home Minister Rajnath Singh had just a few days earlier declared that the Ramzan ceasefire announced last month would not be extended any longer.

That ceasefire, Mr Vaid said, had come as a breather for terrorists.

"I think in terms of organising, they had an advantage during this period," the top police officer said.

"The orders were to maintain high-alert in the camps so that if camps were attacked, we are able to retaliate effectively. But, one could not launch operations even when there was specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists. So, that obviously was an advantageous to the terrorists," he said.

"But, we will go all-out and intensify the operations against the terrorists now," he said.

Mr Vaid said he was sure the Governor's rule would have an impact on the security situation of the valley. "I am sure things should work very effectively and it will have an impact on the security situation of the valley," he said.

On the investigations into the killing of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari, Mr Vaid said the police would be able to crack the case "within a limited period of time".

He said the special team probing the journalist's killing had received "important leads" but declined to get into the details since "it is too premature to talk about those developments". The police officer, however, insisted that the police would crack the case "within a limited period of time".

Similarly, he said, the terrorists who killed army jawan Aurangzeb had been identified and would be brought to justice soon. "We are after their lives," the police chief said.