Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief RR Swain said on Thursday that statements made by individuals, including political leaders, will be investigated to determine whether they fall under the protection of freedom of expression and dissent or are linked to a conspiracy to escalate violence.
Swain emphasized that such statements will be thoroughly examined, including tracing the communication, analyzing discussions, and scrutinizing meetings, to uncover any “backdoor manipulation.”
“Whether a statement is irresponsible or not and whether it falls under freedom of expression and dissent, or whether it is part of a conspiracy or collusion with certain elements to further increase the cycle of violence, will be a matter of investigation,” Swain stated to reporters.
He further explained that the investigation will involve tracing communication, scrutinizing discussions, and examining meetings to identify any instances of “backdoor manipulation” aimed at fomenting violence.
Swain’s comments were in response to a question about recent statements made by various political figures, including People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti.
He also addressed the protests that erupted at NIT-Srinagar on Tuesday following a student’s alleged social media post that offended religious sentiments. The protesters demanded strict action against the non-local student, who has since been sent home on leave.
“All I can say is that the wheels of justice will prevail,” Swain affirmed. “If the particular action has been done deliberately with the malicious intent to further a certain falsehood, and if that falsehood leads to loss of life, property, further violence, attacks on individual citizens, fear, terror, and intimidation, the law itself makes it very clear that they will be held responsible.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Police chief highlighted that the correlation between statements and violence has been established in some National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases and has been accepted by the court.
“I clearly remember in one of the NIA cases, the honorable judge accepted this as evidence,” he remarked.
Regarding freedom of expression in such situations, Swain emphasized that public figures have a responsibility to verify the truthfulness of their statements.
“There are many nuisance statements. Even if it is true, if the statements have the potential to deteriorate the situation and create an environment for violation or increase violence, there should be reasonable restraint as per law. The aim is to stop violence,” he explained.
He clarified that those who make innocent remarks about a particular situation as a viewpoint are different and that their statements will not be subject to police investigation.
“We want to make it clear between freedom of expression and the right to dissent,” Swain stated. “Statements based on falsehoods, half-truths, taken out of context, or designed to further violence will not fall in that category. We will make a distinction with the powerful tools of investigation and intelligence that we have.”
The Union Territory’s police chief appealed to the public to maintain calm and not be misled by those trying to foment trouble.
Swain assured action against the accused in the NIT-Srinagar incident and reaffirmed the police’s commitment to upholding religious respect and protecting the dignity of the majority community in the Valley.
He concluded by urging the public to remain vigilant and to refrain from participating in protests on the roads, emphasizing the police’s commitment to maintaining law and order in the Valley.
