Kashmiri Pandit staff told to work from home after threat

SRINAGAR: Kashmiri Pandit groups on Monday expressed concern over the purported threat letter issued by terror outfit United Liberation Council (ULC), which is said to be the front of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The government has increased security in the area of the Valley, where Pandits reside, and asked the Pandit employees to work from home for some time.

The purported threat letter was issued by the terror outfit after last month’s back-to-back attacks in south Kashmir in which a policeman and two migrant workers from Chhattisgarh were killed. The letter singled out six Pandit employees working in a government department.

The group shared the names of the six employees, along with their phone numbers, and claimed that they had full details, including names of their family members and locations. Sources said after the threat, security forces have increased security in the areas where the Pandits reside.

“The security forces have increased patrolling and surveillance in the areas inhabited by Pandits,” they said. Ranjan Jotshi, vice-president, All Migrant Displaced Employees Association Kashmir, expressed concern over the threat to Pandit employees and called for enhanced protection.

He said the government should provide adequate security to those named in the list and ensure the safety and security of every Pandit employee posted in the Valley as well as their families.