Central Reserve Police asserts, “We never want to hurt innocent civilians”

SRINAGAR - The paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir to combat militancy and contain incidents of violence on Thursday said it never wants to hurt innocent civilians.

“We think that the local people here are same as in our plain areas. But some people instigate them. So they get influenced and do something under pressure, and think of the forces as their enemies,” said Sanjay Pawar, an injured CRPF official.

“I want to tell to tell them that we are not their enemies, we are just like them,” he added.he CRPF personnel have been constantly criticized by the people of the valley and the local politicians for being harsh on civilians during protests.

At least 273 CRPF personnel have been injured in incidents of stone pelting across the valley over the last one month.

CRPF Public Relations Officer Prabhakar Tripathy stressed that despite provocation in various forms by the violent mobs, they maintain maximum restraint while dealing with the angry protestors.

“The allegations have deliberately been imposed on the CRPF and are false. We have to know that the CRPF always helps and works with the local police here. The CRPF and police are always deployed together and they are never deployed independently,” said Tripathy.

“If we talk about the duties or activities of the CRPF, then the forces are always told by the officials to maintain maximum restraint. In today’s date, the CRPF is maintaining maximum restraint,” he added.

The CRPF has been assigned the task of assisting the local police to combat militancy and maintaining the law and order situation in the valley. (ANI)