Terror attack fallout: IGP Birdi dismisses rumours on non-local workers leaving J&K

Srinagar, Oct 22: The Jammu and Kashmir police have dismissed social media reports alleging that the local administration has instructed non-local workers to leave the Valley.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, V.K. Birdi, clarified that these claims are baseless and urged the public not to be misled by the false information circulating online. In a post on X, IGP Birdi stated, “The Jammu and Kashmir Police is committed to ensuring security and fostering a safe environment for all individuals to pursue their livelihoods without fear or intimidation. The general public is advised not to pay heed to such false information on social media platforms.”
The issue gained attention after Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti called for intervention from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to address claims that the administration was pressuring non-local laborers to leave the Valley.
This clarification comes in the wake of a tragic incident on Sunday, where seven people, including a Kashmiri doctor and laborers, were killed in a terrorist attack at a construction site in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The victims were part of a contractor team working on a tunnel for the Srinagar-Leh national highway. This attack is the deadliest incident against civilians in Jammu and Kashmir since the June 9 tragedy in Reasi, where nine pilgrims were killed when their bus came under gunfire from terrorists.