J&K L-G calls for equal punishment for terrorists and their sympathisers
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Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has stated that terrorists and their sympathisers should face identical punishment.
Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a guest house at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar on Saturday, he urged residents to work towards eliminating those who support or assist terrorist activities.
"We need to strike hard at the terror ecosystem. Terrorists' aides should be identified, and they should be given the same punishment as terrorists for inflicting wounds on the soul of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
"Operation Sindoor avenged the murder of innocent civilians, and we avenged the terror attack by punishing the 'terror state of Pakistan'," the L-G said.
"This has enforced our zero tolerance to terrorism. Brave soldiers of our armed forces have not only destroyed the terror factories deep inside Pakistan, but have also drawn a new red line. Now any terror attack will be considered an act of war and Pakistan will be given the harshest punishment for it," he asserted.
L-G Sinha added that the kind of protests seen in Jammu and Kashmir against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack were historic.
"The Valley echoed with slogans against terrorism," he said.
The Lt Governor called for collective efforts to foster the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' and promote unity across communities.
"I appeal to those in positions of responsibility in Jammu and Kashmir to stop using terms like local and non-local. We are all Indians. Stop dividing Indians into locals and outsiders. You should work to unite people so that a united society can take Jammu and Kashmir to greater heights of growth," he advised.
Manoj Sinha is the first constitutional head of Jammu and Kashmir to advocate a holistic approach to combating terrorism, moving beyond a numbers-based strategy that focuses solely on eliminating terrorists.
He emphasises dismantling the entire terror ecosystem, which includes terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs), and sympathisers. According to Sinha, these three elements are interconnected, and lasting security can only be achieved by uprooting all of them together.
In every review and security meeting he leads, Sinha likens the terror network to a tree, where terrorists, OGWs, and sympathisers form its branches—each needing to be addressed for effective counterterrorism efforts.
(inputs from IANS)
