Unless the probe that was ordered into the authenticity of the CD purportedly circulated in Kashmir by the Al Qaeda was completed, any comment would be speculative, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, on his maiden visit to Kashmir, told a crowded news conference in Srinagar on Thursday afternoon.
"An attempt has been made to create a scare among the people. If it merits response, it will be there," Gupta said.
Asked about the demilitarisation demand in the state, the Union home secretary said, "A committee headed by the defence secretary has been formed to look into this and he is better qualified to offer comments on the issue."
"Although there has been a qualitative improvement in the overall security scenario here, the possibilities of security of the state being challenged remain the same," Gupta said.
Gupta, who was on his first visit to Kashmir after taking over as the Union home secretary also said, "An exercise is on to work out the mechanism for the implementation of the recommendations of the five working groups set up last year by the prime minister."
The five working groups were formed during the first Kashmir round table conference held in May 2006, which was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The working groups have already made recommendations to the Union government.
Earlier, the home secretary had detailed discussions with state Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, Chief Minister Gulam Nabi Azad, senior police, paramilitary and intelligence officers in Srinagar.
Both the chief minister and Union home secretary were of the firm view that "the recommendations of the working groups are being taken seriously both by the state and central governments and will be implemented in due course of time."
