Shopian firing: Topple Mehbooba Mufti govt if it refuses to withdraw FIR: Subramanian Swamy to Centre

Subramanian Swamy has urged the Centre to topple the J&K government if it refuses to withdraw FIR in the Shopian firing case.

Jammu: BJP Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday came down heavily on the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir for pursuing a criminal case against some Army personnel in connection with the death of two civilians in Shopian firing recently.

Slamming the PDP government in J&K, Swamy said, ''What's this nonsense? Dismiss that govt. Tell Mehbooba (Mufti) to withdraw the FIR else her government would be toppled.''

Giving a piece of advice to the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the Rajya Sabha lawmaker said, ''Why are we even running that govt? I haven't understood that till date.''

What's this nonsense? Dismiss that govt. Tell Mehbooba(Mufti) to withdraw the FIR else her govt would be toppled. Why are we even running that govt? I haven't understood that till date: Subramanian Swamy on FIR against the Army over killing of 2 civilians in Shopian #JammuKashmir pic.twitter.com/fPosUvLZeN — ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2018

The strong reactions from Swamy came in view of an announcement by J&K Chief Minister that the case against those (Army personnel) involved in firing on protesters in Shopian that left two civilians dead will be taken to a "logical conclusion".

Swamy's party BJP had also earlier demanded that the murder case be withdrawn.

Mufti made the assertion while defending the police action amid an uproar in the state Assembly over the firing incident and a demand by BJP MLA RS Pathania for an immediate withdrawal of the FIR. 

Pathania, however, said his party supports the magisterial probe to allow the law to take its own course.

The FIR was registered against the personnel of 10, Garhwal unit, of the Army under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. 

A Major, who led the Army personnel at the time of the incident on Saturday, was also mentioned in the FIR, officials said yesterday.

Two civilians were killed when Army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob in Ganovpora village in Shopian, prompting Mufti to order an inquiry into the incident. 

J&K Police chief SP Vaid said the registration of FIR in the Shopian incident is just the beginning of the investigation and the Army's version would be taken into account as well.

Mufti, however, said that she did not believe the police action would have a demoralising effect on the army.

 Terming the incident a "setback" to the political process, Mufti said she had spoken about it to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who asked her to take the required action in case there was "carelessness".

According to the police, the crowd hurled stones on a security force convoy passing through Ganovpora village in Shopian district following which the Army men fired a few rounds. A defence spokesperson, however, had said the troops opened fire when a mob tried to lynch a junior commissioned officer and snatch his service weapon.

(With Agency inputs)