Yasin Malik, Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. file photo

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 8

Three separatist leaders in the Kashmir valley, who refer to themselves as ‘joint resistance leadership’, on Monday said the region’s separatist movement was indigenous and it had nothing to do with “global (jihadi) movements”.Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik issued a joint statement denouncing any attempt to change the “dimension” of Kashmir’s separatism and termed it as a conspiracy of intelligence agencies.The three separatist leaders spoke against the changing character of Kashmir’s separatism at a time when several militants have vowed to fight for an Islamist cause, espoused by global militant movements like Al-Qaida.In recent weeks, several militants, including the south Kashmir-based commander Zakir Musa, have issued statements in which they have denounced fighting for a nationalist cause and vowed that they were fighting for Islam. Another militant disapproved waving Pakistan flags and instead asked a gathering of people to wave Islamist black flags. Like in the past, the separatist leaders are conveniently blaming the forms of dissent within the separatist camp as part of a plan of intelligence agencies. In 2015, the separatist group led by Geelani had initially blamed intelligence agencies for attacking the telecom sector but the Hizbul Mujahideen had later acknowledged that one of its rebel commanders was behind the attacks. Even as the latest statement from Geelani, Mirwaiz and Malik had all indications of being a reaction to the changing patterns of the militant ideology in the region, the separatists have tried to steer clear of naming or blaming the militants. The three separatist leaders in a detailed statement said that “the struggle for freedom is a local movement and its first and last goal is to end India’s forcible occupation”. “It has no other dimension and it has nothing to do with global movements,” the separatist trio said.The separatists said that intelligence agencies were attempting to defame Kashmir’s separatist movement and had devised a “dangerous plan of changing its indigenous character”.They said organisations “like the ISIS have no role” in the region and appealed to political and militant organisations to isolate those individuals who were being used to promote “India’s plan”.

Blame intel agencies

• Three separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said intelligence agencies were attempting to defame Kashmir’s separatist movement
• They said organisations “like the ISIS have no role” in the region and appealed to political and militant organisations to isolate those individuals who were being used to promote “India’s plan”.

Attack carried out inside Indian territory in Poonch; Tarn Taran Naib Subedar among killed

Give total freedom to the Indian army to tackle dangerous situations faced in the line of duty. CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, PUNJAB CM

JAMMU/NEWDELHI: Pakistani forces killed two Indian soldiers and mutilated their bodies after a targeted attack on frontier posts in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday morning — an act the army described as despicable and promised appropriate response.

The slain soldiers were Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh, a junior commissioned officer (JCO) with the army’s 22 Sikh Regiment, and head constable Prem Sagar of the BSF’s 200 Battalion.

The 42-year-old Singh was from a village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district, while Sagar was a native of Deoria in Uttar Pradesh.

The government strongly condemns this barbaric act and the country has full confidence and faith in the armed forces, which will react appropriately, defence minister Arun Jaitley said.

“This is a reprehensible and an inhuman act. Such attacks don’t happen even during a war, let alone peace … The sacrifice of these soldiers will not go in vain.”

he army’s northern command said the Pakistanis fired mortar shells, rocket-propelled grenades, and heavy machine guns at Indian posts in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district along the Line of Control, the de facto border between the two countries.

The shelling provided cover fire to members of the Border Action Team (BAT) — allegedly made up of a mix of Pakistani army regulars and militants. They attacked a 10-man Indian patrol comprising soldiers from 22 Sikh Regiment and the BSF.

Sources said the Pakistani rogue squad struck within 200 metres inside the Indian side of the LoC. The soldiers were patrolling across the border fence.

“Pak army carried out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts … Simultaneously a BAT action was launched on a patrol operating between the two posts. In an unsoldierly act by the Pak army, the bodies of two of our soldiers in the patrol were mutilated,” the army statement said.

Singh, the senior-most member of the squad, was leading the patrol. The Pakistani army denied mutilating the bodies, saying theirs is a “highly professional force and will never disrespect a soldier”.

“Pakistan army did not commit any ceasefire violation on LoC as alleged by India. Indian blame of mutilating Indian soldiers’ bodies is also false,” a statement from the neighbouring country’s inter-services public relations wing said.

Other than Singh and Sagar, another two BSF soldiers came under attack but they survived. Constable Rajender Kumar was one of the wounded, while the other’s identity is yet to be revealed.

The Pakistani army has violated a 2003 ceasefire agreement between the two countries 65 times in four months this year.

A HISTORY OF CROSS­BORDER BARBARISM

May 1999: Captain Saurabh Kalia and five other soldiers on patrol in the Kaksar sector of Jammu and Kashmir were taken captive by the Pakistan army . They were tortured for weeks before being killed and their mutilated bodies were handed over to India on June 9. It triggered the Kargil war.

GURPREET SINGH/HTThe grieving family of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh, whose body was allegedly mutilated by Pakistani troops, at a Tarn Taran village on Monday.

February 2000: Pakistani terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri led a raid on Ashok Listening Post in the Noushera sector, killing seven soldiers. He took back to Pakistan the head of one jawan.

June 2008: A soldier lost his way and was captured by a Pakistani border action team in Kel sector. His body was found beheaded a few days later. January 2013: One soldier was beheaded and another killed by Pakistani troops after they crossed into the Mendhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir. October 28, 2016: A soldier’s body was found mutilated in Kupwara’s Machil near the Line of Control while the army was engaged in cross-border firing with Pakistan’s army.

November 22, 2016: Suspected Pakistani troops killed three soldiers and mutilated one of the bodies during a gunfight in the Machhil sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu on Saturday. Inderjeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 6

Calling for a concerted dialogue process, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone could pull the Valley out of the prevailing morass.“Kashmir is not problem of a year or two, it is a 70-year-long issue which needs to be solved by addressing all related aspects,” she said at a public function here. “I know some people will criticise my stand, but I am of the firm opinion that the Prime Minister alone can permanently solve this vexed problem because he has the mandate of the entire nation,” she said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Claiming that Modi had the moral authority as well as the courage to take “bold decisions”, she recalled his unscheduled visit to Lahore on December 25, 2015, to normalise ties with Pakistan.Without naming a political or separatist group, she said some vested interests were hell-bent on fomenting trouble in the Valley. “I am hopeful that the PM, who has the mandate of the people, will take  effective steps to restore peace.” Invoking the Vajpayee doctrine, she recalled, “Vajpayeeji and Mufti Saheb had initiated sincere efforts which yielded encouraging results.”Facing immense pressure from within her party (PDP) to convince the Centre to hold parleys, Mehbooba has reason to invoke Vajpayee. It was during the latter’s tenure as PM that several pro-peace measures, including talks with the Hurriyat Conference and a ceasefire along the 720-km-long international border with Pakistan, were initiated. Also, LK Advani, then Deputy PM, had on January 22, 2004, held talks with separatists.“Thereafter, no efforts were made to carry forward the agenda of peace and reconciliation. It was owing to the ‘causal’ approach of the UPA government and successive dispensations in Jammu and Kashmir that the state saw unprecedented violence in 2008-2010,” she claimed.“There was pent-up lava. It started to pour out in 2008 and then in 2009-2010. This lava has now spread to the streets and we are forced to face this situation,” she said. As the CM was speaking, senior Congress leader Gulchain Singh Charak interrupted her, demanding two civil secretariats, one in Jammu and another in Srinagar. Charak, who later walked out in protest, was heckled by  some workers.

Student protests continue in Valley; 27 hurt in Handwara

Students receive injuries during a protest in Handwara on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Amin War

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 6

A total of 27 students were hurt in the massive clashes that rocked Handwara and Pulwama today as the student demonstrations continued for the third week in the Valley.The Superintendent of Police, Handwara, said:“The students of Degree College, Handwara, took out a protest rally on the main road and started throwing stones on vehicles and police personnel, which resulted in clashes. The situation was brought under control.”The principal of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Handwara, said due to the massive teargas shelling outside the school around 50 girls fell unconscious and were admitted to hospital.“Our students were inside the school, which is half a kilometre away from Degree College, but the teargas smoke spread inside the school where 1,500 girls were there. Due to the intense shelling around 50 students collapsed on the ground. We admitted them to a hospital as a precautionary measure,” the principal said, adding that most of the students were discharged after treatment.Students of Degree College alleged that they were protesting peacefully but the police started throwing teargas shells on them without any reason in which many of them were injured. The students said many girls fainted on the spot due to inhaling of smoke.Chief Medical Officer, Handwara, Dr Khan said 27 injured students were treated after clashes and most of them had minor injuries.“One girl had a head injury, but after CT scan she was declared stable. The students were discharged after treatment,” the doctor said.The clashes also erupted in south Kashmir’s Newa Pulwama when the students of Higher Secondary School threw stones at a nearby Army camp.“The minor clashes happened today when the students threw stones at an Army camp but due to the presence of teachers and police the protesters were immediately pacified,” said Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Mohammad Rayees Bhat.

The state-run ‘Global Times’ has focused on the “Kashmir dispute” and its resolution through Beijing’s intervention and mediation. AFP file

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 2

China has virtually announced its role as a mediator in the Kashmir “dispute” between India and Pakistan to fulfill its responsibility as a “stabilising force and conflict mediator” in South Asia.The state-run ‘Global Times’ has focused on the “Kashmir dispute” and its resolution through Beijing’s intervention and mediation as it says: “China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, but that doesn’t mean Beijing can turn a deaf ear to the demands of Chinese enterprise in protecting the overseas investments. Given the massive investment that has been made in countries along the One Belt, One Road, China now has a vested interest in helping resolve regional conflicts, including the dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan.”

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China has invested $54 billion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that runs through Pakistan occupied Kashmir, including Gilgit. Beijing has already stationed its troops for the safety of its workers in Gilgit-Baltisan and other parts of the PoK and it has turned a deaf ear to the Indian objections that it was undertaking projects in the territory which is legally part of India. Last Dogra king of Jammu and Kashmir had acceded the entire state as it existed before the tribesmen’s invasion of the state, to India in 1947.The newspaper, however, prods Beijing in its article titled ‘China ready to play a greater role in resolving conflicts in South and Southeast Asia’ by saying, “Mediating between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue would perhaps be one of the toughest challenges facing China in dealing with  regional affairs to safeguard its overseas interests (read CPEC).”China has shifted its stand that Kashmir was a bilateral issue to be resolved by Delhi and Islamabad. It had maintained and stuck to this stand vociferously in 1999, when it advised Pakistan to adhere to the “sanctity of the Line of Control” and withdraw its troops and proxies from the Indian side of the LoC.Things changed at the diplomatic and geo-strategic levels when Pakistan during negotiations on the Siachen glacier submitted non-papers seeking the involvement of China in deciding the fate of the highest battleground in the world, most part of which is under India’s control. The Karakorum highway, the lifeline of CPEC, runs across edges of the glacier.Kashmiri separatists, considered His Master’s Voice of Pakistan, have often made calls for China as a partner to settling the “Kashmir dispute”.The MEA had been dismissing these as peripheral noises, maintaining that India and Pakistan could resolve it bilaterally. Now, China has announced that it is willing to acquire a new role as a mediator as it is doing in the case of Myanmar and Rohingiya refugees. The one belt, one road runs through Myanmar too.That China has brought Kashmir on its agenda needs to be understood.

We need to recast our anti-Naxal policy.

AROUND noon on April 25, a  36-strong contingent of the 74th Bn of  CRPF deployed to protect a  road construction party  in Sukna (Dantewada) of Chhattisgarh was ambushed by a huge band  of about 300 fully armed Naxal militia. 25 brave young CRPF personnel were taken by surprise, killed on the spot and another eight were seriously injured. Such a heavy toll of lives of the central police force playing a key role in combating terrorism naturally aroused concern in the media. As an ex-cop and internal security professional, this made me very sad. It  raised  a number of questions about how it happened and where we went wrong in protecting our brave policemen. Before  dwelling on the do’s and dont’s to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future, let us take  stock of the facts leading to the tragedy.Sukna, carved out of erstwhile Bastar district  is the area worst affected by Naxal  violence, accounting for almost 70 per cent of casualties suffered by the police forces operating in these  areas. It is a hilly and deeply forested terrain. The Naxal armed militia, comprising local Adivasis,  are recruited, trained, equipped and financed by Maoist thinkers living in comfort in urban areas. They issue directions to the armed groups to strike against selected targets via their network of local commanders through a well-defined command structure. The contact of the “Jungle Parties” of Maoists with the local villagers is minimal. They maintain utmost secrecy in their movements. Road construction on the remaining 50-km distance, aimed to end the isolation of the tribals from government services, is  critical to the anti-Naxal strategy. The Naxals were opposed  to this road contruction activity.Their desperation was increasing with the successes achieved  in counter-insurgency operations in recent years. They were apparently busy planning this big strike to regain hold over the area to boost the sagging morale of its cadres. The CRPF is deployed to assist the local government in counter-Naxal operations and is under the tactical command of the District SP. The regular deployment of the CRPF at the same spot in a highly vulnerable, ambush-prone terrain  was avoidable. The location  and numbers was  known to the local Naxal commanders. The latter were surreptitiously  gathering troops to hopelessly outnumber the adversary and inflict  maximum casualties. It is not known whether the CRPF commanders either at the local or higher levels had expressed concerns over the risks involved in such deployments. Standard operating drills to guard against ambushes  in hostile terrain  were not followed. The Naxal leadership has been taking advantage of the poverty, unemployment and illiteracy among the local tribals, which has become more acute following revision of the forest conservation laws to make them stringent. Naxals  have been luring innocent young tribals to leave their homes and families and take up the gun after being paid adequately every month.Actionable tactical intelligence holds the key to success of all counter-terrorist operations of the police and security forces. Human intelligence (Humint), which is the forte of our local and central intelligence agencies, has severe limitations in penetrating underground groups operating from deeply forested inaccessible hideouts. Our technical intelligence (Techint) capabilities fall woefully short to yield meaningful results in counter-terrorism operations. UAVs deployed to provide technical intelligence regarding the movement of armed groups in deep forest areas of Chhattisgarh and contiguous territory called  “Abhujmarh”(unknown areas) are not able to provide any worthwhile inputs, given the inability of the cameras mounted on them to penetrate deep vegetation and take pictures of objects below .Here are a few suggestions based on my experience of heading intelligence outfits in terrorism-affected areas in J&K and the North-East. We need to recast our counter-Naxal strategy and tactics to ensure that such losses do not reoccur:Do  involve the CRPF and state police officers facing ground realities  in affected areas while discussing and deciding upon counter measures in Delhi and state capitals. During a stint in the MHA in 2004-5, I was asked to chair the first Joint Task Force to combat  Naxalism nationally. The deliberations  were held in Delhi and the capitals of the affected states, including Chhattisgarh. Officers handling the situation on the ground participated and the Union Home Minister too attended such conclaves in the state capitals and actively involved the state governments at the highest level. Naxal groups operating in Chhattisgarh and elsewhere are making extensive use of electronic devices to communicate via cyber space and using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) which cannot be intercepted. Information on the presence and movement of Naxals can be considerably stepped-up by extensively analysing the cyber data being exchanged among them, even minus content.Air support being extended at present to the police and the CRPF by the IAF is currently limited to logistics — supplies, movement of manpower, equipment etc.. The IAF helicopters can be used more effectively in para-dropping of troops to overwhelm and strike against armed groups. Of course, such para-droppings are possible only in clearances in deep forest areas.Finally, the CRPF must draw heavily on the expertise of the Andhra Pradesh/ Telangana  police force Greyhounds that has achieved significant success in countering Naxalism by sharpening the troops’ skills. The training of CRPF personnel deployed in Naxal areas needs to be undertaken on a war footing. The appointment of an officer with a proven track record as full-fledged DG of the CRPF,  the largest paramilitary force in the world, as announced a couple of days back, will ensure the toning up of operational capabilities. A salute to the brave CRPF personnel who had to lay down their lives in trying to keep our country safe from depredations of  armed hostile groups. The writer is Former Secretary, Internal Security, MHA.

New Delhi, April 24

A special court has allowed a former navy officer, facing trial in the 2006 Naval War Room leak case, to go abroad for 25 days but asked him not to travel to London where prime accused Ravi Shankaran, who has been absconding, is learnt to be living.Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal granted the relief to ex-naval lieutenant Kulbhushan Parashar, who sought permission to travel to several countries, including France, Spain, Czech Republic, Russia and Greece from June 4 to July 1 for meetings and exploring business opportunities relating to food imports.The court said Parashar would not be permitted to stay abroad beyond the permitted time and should not seek extension on any grounds, including medical.The 2006 Navy War Room leak case involves leakage of over 7,000 pages of sensitive defence information from the Naval War Room and the Air Headquarters, having a direct bearing on national security.“He shall not contact any witnesses while abroad, he will not object to the examination of witnesses in his absence and in his absence, his counsel will accept all the notices on his behalf.“It is also made clear that accused/applicant shall not travel to London, UK, during this period where accused Ravi Shankaran (proclaimed offender in the case who is absconding), is stated to be residing,” the judge said in the order.The CBI had opposed the plea, saying the case was at the stage of recording prosecution evidence and the trial was being expedited.It had also alleged that there was a strong suspicion that Prashar might not return to India, which could delay the proceedings. It had said that Shankaran was residing in London and there were chances of Parashar fleeing from justice.Parashar is facing trial along with four accused, including three former naval officers.Besides Prashar, former commander Vijender Rana, sacked naval commander VK Jha, former IAF Wing Commander Sambha Jee L Surve and Delhi-based businessman and arms dealer Abhishek Verma are facing trial in the case for the offence of criminal conspiracy under IPC and under various provisions of the Official Secrets Act (OSA). All the accused are out on bail.The court had earlier framed charges after the five accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. Prime accused Ravi Shankaran is still absconding and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the court. PTI

The situation in Kashmir is spiralling out of control as the youth take to the streets with a devil-may-care recklessness. Without fear, they confront security forces that to them are a symbol of the coercive power of the state. This mindset poses new dangers of disintegration to the state.

State of chaos: A Kashmiri student throws back a tear-gas canister fired by the police during a protest in Srinagar on April 17. Reuters

THE Kashmir situation is going from bad to worse. In the current situation,  almost every household has become a  grooming centre for the  would-be “warriors”, where  children  sing  the songs calling for “martyrdom” to boost their morale  These are uploaded on social media  and get the intended response. A message of hatred against India is spread and that translates into anger on the streets. Homes, schools and streets peddle this narrative of Islam and liberation. The tales that parents, teachers and the youngsters bring about the real or imagined or exaggerated versions of the “atrocities” of the security forces  reinforces the thinking that they are living  in a besieged land. The talk of the village  corners has shifted from  devastating militancy of the 1990s to “state terrorism.” It is something that separatists had been saying for long, now the “mainstream” leaders, too, have joined the chorus. They are unanimous in demanding restraint from the security forces but  are shy of telling the misguided youth to go to schools instead of  stoning the  security personnel. That has made this narrative of “state terrorism” more pronounced. A recent video showing the Army using a youth as a human shield has further given credence to this  version  to the youth. 

Conditioned minds

They are conditioned by the mindset of resistance  not  only for the liberation of Kashmir but also as their religious obligation. Kashmiri nationalism is just a cover, as always. The militancy was guided by  the goal of setting up an Islamic Republic in Kashmir. The situation is  dreadful — the fear of the Army is over; crowds gather  in a matter of seconds and start throwing stones, political workers are either being killed or threatened  to declare their disassociation  with the  political groups that  they belong to.  The disclaimers broadcast on social media, combined with real-time blood spilling, has infused the atmosphere  with extreme fear for commoners. The  police department’s advisory to its personnel that they should  not visit their homes for the next few months  is   seen  an  admission  of the deteriorating situation where policemen  have been told to be extremely cautious. That means that the threat to them is real.Alongside, there are youth drawn from villages, schools and  colleges  who are manifesting their anger  on the streets using stones, each stone cast with  a message that they were ready to face bullets. And, once the bullets are fired, the cycle of funerals, burials, new vows  and martyrdom  move  at an unimagined pace. This cements the feelings that a final battle has to be fought. A striking factor was that there was a deep element of fear  of the search-and-cordon operations. People would sit for hours during search operations. There was an awe. Now such operations are near-impossible. There is no forbidden zone for the stone-throwers or gunmen.

Deadly trio

A new deadly trio has emerged of gunmen, stone-throwers  and the crowds offering moral support to them. In 1990, it was hoped that Army would reverse the situation and that it did, making it possible for the politicians to contest elections and form the governments. Then the vested interests in Delhi started playing games — a fair assessment of the situation  was dumped as a bad idea because the threats from  across the border had not vanished and militancy was not over as yet.  The breathing space was scotched.Nowadays, public anger and hate against India is too pronounced  to be ignored. The politicians, who are now calling for restraint by the security forces, were the ones who never bothered to deliver on governance. The basic needs of the people were ignored with contempt. They ruled with the backing of Delhi, and the Centre never held them accountable for their waywardness.  They started hiding their failures  by  claiming that they were working for the larger goal of  a political solution to the Kashmir crisis. The new generation did not trust these politicians, who promised “sadak, bijli, paani” during the election campaign  but shifted their  narrative to the honourable and dignified solution of the Kashmir crisis. Their flip-flop and mishandling of small incidents snowballed into a bigger crisis of  confidence. The political class is seen as “opportunistic, collaborators, exploiters and corrupt to core.”

Religious identity

Now they suspect that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed BJP is  trying to undermine their religious identity. Religion is a very sensitive issue in the exclusively Muslim Kashmir. This is the most uniting factor as the “pro-freedom  leadership” started its campaign by driving Kashmiri Pandits  out of the Valley. That was in 1990. The 2017 visual realities of the Muslim world clashing with the West  and  their own youth heckling, slapping, kicking the CRPF jawans has  given them the power of aggression. They are sensing a new revolution that would make India retreat. That is where the situation is not only uncontrollable but also defining new dangers of disintegration of the state that can have a ripple effect on the rest of the places as well. This mindset of resistance is the real challenge for the country now.

ajoshi57@gmail.com

Sidhu’s TV show: Court questions state on propriety

BJP leader’s son arrested for ‘running’ drug racket

Former Akali MLA’s nephew held for illegal sale of liquor

Welfare payments in 10 yrs under scanner: Dharamsot

Secys’ performance under CMO lens

Manpreet Badal visits MC office, officials unaware

Capt’s decisions hailed

DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL SAND MINING 10 trucks, six tractor-trailers seized; four arrested

LAW TAKEN FOR A RIDE CHANDIGARH POLICE

IT may be a little too early for Congressmen to forget why the Akali Dal-BJP combine had lost the last election in Punjab and why they were chosen instead to run the state affairs despite AAP offering an aggressive alternative. The majority perhaps thought the financial condition that Punjab was in did not warrant an experiment with a team of novices and Punjabis reposed their trust in the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh having past experience of running a government. However, the Captain they had trusted to steer them out of troubled waters is taking the state ship on the same ruinous path laden with icebergs. Among the most hated things the Badals did with disastrous consequences — for the state, the party and themselves — was the introduction of the halqa in-charge system. Media reports indicate the Congress government plans to revive the discredited practice without officially calling it so. Putting sons of serving Supreme Court judges on the government lawyers’ panel without their consent was embarrassing enough but could be explained away as a bad decision taken in a hurry, if not as a deliberate and crude attempt to court judges. But posting civil and police officers in consultation with the MLA of the area is no different from the Badals’ clever ploy to empower and enrich their local chieftains. It might still work if the legislators and officials do not hijack the law to target political opponents.There is, however, absolutely no justification for issuing an ordinance or bringing in a Bill to create posts of Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Secretary. The financial burden notwithstanding, the move will violate the constitutional cap on the size of ministry a state can have apart from last year’s ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. If providing administrative training to MLAs is a motive, as Capt Amarinder Singh has stated in an interview, then that can be done without giving them the special post and minister-like pay and perks. Questions are already being raised over the army of advisers the Captain has raised. Is power already breeding arrogance and blurring judgement?