Kashmir cops on quitting spree after Hizbul Mujahideen's ‘resign or die’ threat

Following the recent incidents of killings of policemen and Hizbul Mujahideen's ‘resign or die’ threat, at least 40 Jammu and Kashmir cops have resigned from their post since Friday. Days after Centre’s rejection, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday accepted that the cops were quitting their job due to the threat. The state government, however, played down the situation saying their number was negligible.

"The state has over 30,000 SPOs. If you compare the number of people who have resigned, it's negligible," NDTV quoted Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary BVR Subramanium as saying.

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Last week, Union home ministry had rejected the reports that Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir were resigning, terming them “false propaganda by mischievous elements.”

“Reports have appeared in a section of media that some Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir have resigned. J&K Police have confirmed that these reports are untrue and motivated. These reports are based on false propaganda by mischievous elements," the Home Ministry had said in a statement.

The resignation videos started surfacing after the kidnapping and killing of three cops South Kashmir’s Shopian. The three policemen were dragged out of their homes and killed by terrorists.

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Following the incident, several policemen started posting resignation videos as asked by the Hizbul Mujahideen. The authorities blocked internet services in several districts of South Kashmir to prevent cops from uploading videos on social media.

According to reports, the government has already started shifting policemen and their families to safer places and advised cops not to visit their homes in militancy-hit areas.