We made mistakes handling Valley unrest, says JK DGP

Admitting "mistakes" in dealing with the recent unrest in Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Kuldeep Khoda said cases against students arrested on charges of stone pelting would be reconsidered.

"We will reconsider the cases against those students who have been arrested on the charges of stone pelting during the unrest," he said.

Khoda was speaking at a 'public darbar' where he admitted that "mistakes" have been committed while dealing with the situation.

"I wanted to listen to the public to understand why the situation has deteriorated. Some might think that we are enemies but I want to clear this misunderstanding. We have to move forward for a better future and the only option we have is to go along together," he said.

On imposition of curfew in the Valley and other parts of the state during the unrest, he said government imposes the prohibitory orders to safeguard public property. "We do not want to impose curfew but when things get out of control, we have to impose curfew to safeguard life and property of the common masses," he said.

He urged people not to be misled by the separatist propaganda and help in improving the situation in the Valley by supporting law enforcing agencies in improving the situation.

Identifying unemployment as a major challenge before the state, Khoda said unemployed youth in the state would be recruited in the J-K Police. "Unemployment is a huge problem. We do not want our youth to be misled. This will destroy their future," he said adding the police will do its bit in tackling the problem by starting a recruitment drive for the unemployed youth of the state in the police force.

"We will take up the matter with the government. Recruitment in the police department will be done in far-flung areas and places where police strength is low," he said. He said the recent selection of 512 sub-inspectors in the police department was the largest recruitment for the post in the state so far.

Khoda said those leaders, who ask people not to send children to schools, were ensuring that their wards got proper education. "They went to schools themselves...their children are having jobs but want others to remain illiterate," he said.

Khoda said he will look into the suggestion to recruit Special Police Officers from local residents to check timber smuggling.