Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi / Srinagar: Union Minister for PMO, DONEAR praises the action of army to award Major Leetul Gogoi. Exprssing the view of government he said that Gogoi raise the prestige of country, so we are proud on Gogoi. While ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which shares power with the BJP, today disapproved of the Army chief’s commendation for Major Leetul Gogoi who had tied up a man to a jeep as a shield against stone-pelting in Kashmir last month.
PDP general secretary Nizamuddin Bhat said honouring Gogoi was not proper as the act was a human rights violation.
He said action should be taken against any human rights violation.
“If he (officer) has been rewarded for this bravado, I do not feel this is proper,” Bhat told reporters here.
He was responding to a question about the Major being honoured yesterday with the Army chief’s Commendation Card for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations.
“The stand of the PDP is that this seems wrong in public perception. This is a human rights violation and there should be an investigation,” the PDP leader said.
The Army Major is at the centre of a row for tying a Kashmiri man Farooq Ahmad Dar to an army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9 allegedly as a shield against stone-pelting.
Gogoi today appeared before the media to say that his action was intended to save the lives of many people.
Breaking his silence, he said about 1200 stone-pelters had surrounded a small group of security personnel at a polling booth in Utligam village of Budgam district and if he had ordered firing, there could have been at least 12 casualties.
Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a man to a jeep as a shield against stone-pelting, saved lives under “exceptional circumstances” and the Army has appreciated it, Information and Broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.
“The action of the Major was taken in exceptional circumstances and the Army has appreciated him. He wanted to save the lives of the Indian citizens including officers who were on election duty,” Naidu said here.
He said that the elements who supported and funded stone pelters in Kashmir stood exposed.
“People know who are behind stone pelting in Kashmir. Who is funding them is all exposed by the media. For political reasons, the National Conference is trying to sympathise with such people by criticising the government and Army,” Naidu told a group of mediapersons here.
Kashmir is an integral part of India and every Kashmiri is an Indian citizen, the Union minister said.
Referring to Pakistan, Naidu said, the neighbouring country should be exposed internationally.
In this context he cited the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and said India had taken the matter to the International Court of Justice and got a stay on his execution.
Major Gogoi, who had tied a Kashmiri youth to the bonnet of a jeep as a human shield to thwart stone pelters, has been awarded the Army Chief’s Commendation Card.
