By IANS,
Srinagar : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said strict action would be taken against security forces personnel found guilty of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Visiting the state amid an uproar over the death of three civilians in an alleged staged shootout by army personnel, Manmohan Singh made it clear that the government would act tough in case of human rights violations by security forces while fighting terrorism.
“I am aware of some complaints related to human rights. The government policy is to protect the human rights even when dealing with terrorism. The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been strictly instructed to respect the rights of the civilians. We will act to remove any deficiency in the implementation of these instructions,” Manmohan Singh said.
The prime minister said a “handful of people who do not want any political process for empowering people to succeed” spread terror.
“Our security agencies are forced to act in the wake of such incidents. During the process sometimes innocent civilians have to suffer, but whenever such incidents happen it becomes necessary to act against those responsible for them,” he said.
The prime minister arrived here Monday afternoon on a two-day visit that comes amid allegations that army killed three Kashmiri civilian young men, labelling them as militants for cash rewards.
The state government has ordered a probe and the army has already removed a colonel from his command and suspended a major who is accused of masterminding the killings.