Jammu, Aug 24 (NVI) A statement, purportedly issued by an anonymous self-claimed terrorist group, threatening Kashmiri Pandits has caused anxiety among members of the community working in the Valley.
The purported poster has been circulated on social media under the name of Uniited Liberation Council (ULC), an unknown organisation believed to be a front for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist outfit.
In the poster, the ULC claims it has names and other personal details of some Kashmiri Pandit government working in the Valley and they are under its watch.
It was not clear whether the identities mentioned in the poster are real or fictitious.
But, Kashmiri Pandit government employees working in the Valley have expressed concern and sought enhanced security and an investigation into the alleged leak of sensitive information.
Talking to reporters here, he urged security agencies to investigate the source of the information and identify those allegedly providing personal details of Kashmiri Pandit government employees to the perpetrators.
“Our personal information has been leaked and shared with them,” he said.
Raina said Kashmiri Pandit government employees are living in fear and urged the administration to take immediate steps for their safety.
He sought permission for work from home as an immediate precautionary measure and, if that was not possible, demanded adequate security outside their residences and at workplaces.
He said such threats have continued since the killing of PM Special Package employee Rahul Bhat in Kashmir in 2022.
“Since the killing of Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat in 2022, these threat letters have been coming continuously. We do not know where these threats are coming from. I do not think even security agencies have been able to determine their source. I believe this is the 36th or 37th threat letter that has arrived since,” Raina said.
Drawing a parallel with the situation prevailing in the 1990s, he said a similar pattern is being adopted to create fear among Kashmiri Pandits and force them to leave the Valley.
“My request to the administration and security agencies is to take cognisance of these threats and investigate where they are coming from. It appears to be a deliberate conspiracy to create an atmosphere of fear and disturb the prevailing situation,” he said.
He sought deployment of security teams and protection for Kashmiri Pandit employees whose names have appeared in the threatening posters.
He also appealed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to assess the situation of Kashmiri Pandit employees working in the Valley.
“With your support and assurance we have returned to Kashmir,” Raina said, appealing to the ministry to send a delegation to the Valley to meet Kashmiri Pandit employees and understand their concerns.
According to the All PM Package Employees Forum Kashmir, the authenticity of the poster has not been verified by police or security agencies.
“However, repeated circulation of such threat letters and posters, particularly those containing sensitive personal information, is a matter of grave concern,” the forum said in its letter.
The employees’ body said the matter has already been brought to the notice of police and security agencies for verification and necessary action.
The forum recalled previous targeted attacks on Kashmiri Pandit employees and said repeated circulation of alleged threat posters has created a sense of fear and insecurity among them.
It sought enhanced security cover for all PM Special Package employees posted in the Valley, besides immediate and thorough verification of the latest threat and identification of those responsible.
The latest appeal comes amid heightened security concerns among Kashmiri Pandit employees following similar threat communications circulated earlier this month. (NVI)
