Army vs Administration: Military Vehicle Seizure Triggers Major Kishtwar Row | EMS TV

Army vs Administration: Military Vehicle Seizure Triggers Major Kishtwar Row A major controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar district after an operational Indian Army vehicle was seized by the local police. The incident has led to serious allegations from both the Army and the police and an official investigation is now underway. According to reports the dispute began when the official convoy of Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma was delayed for around 10 minutes due to an Army convoy moving on a narrow single-lane road. The traffic jam reportedly triggered the confrontation. Police later stopped and seized a modified Army vehicle belonging to the 17 Rashtriya Rifles. According to the Army the vehicle was deployed for anti-terror operations and Road Opening Party (ROP) duty and carried highly confidential communication equipment essential for ongoing security operations. Supporters of the Army have alleged that the Deputy Commissioner and police officials behaved disrespectfully with Army personnel during the incident. However the district administration has denied these allegations. The Army has questioned the seizure saying the district administration had no authority to detain an operational military vehicle. It also warned that removing the vehicle from duty could have affected ongoing anti-terror operations and even put the lives of civilians Army personnel and police personnel at risk as ROP teams secure roads before military movement. On the other hand Jammu and Kashmir Police have accused Army personnel of entering a police station after the seizure assaulting police officers and damaging government property. An FIR has been registered against the Commanding Officer of 17 Rashtriya Rifles a Major and several other Army personnel. The Indian Army has said the matter is being jointly examined and that appropriate action will be taken after the investigation is completed. Meanwhile former IAS officer Sanjay Dixit has questioned the district administrations handling of the situation. Recalling his tenure as District Collector of Barmer in Rajasthan during the 1990s he said Army convoys often caused temporary traffic jams because of operational requirements. Instead of confronting the Army the administration widened the road allowing smoother movement for Army convoys the Air Force and the public. He said that if such traffic congestion happens regularly it is the responsibility of the district administration to improve road infrastructure and traffic management rather than allowing the situation to escalate into a confrontation. The Kishtwar case remains under investigation. Both the Army and the police have made serious allegations against each other and no final conclusion has been reached. The facts will become clear only after the official inquiry is completed. Several important questions remain: Did the police have the legal authority to seize an operational Army vehicle? Was the vehicle involved in any unlawful or anti-social activity that justified such action? Report by Tamanna Rizvi for EMS TV.