Jammu and Kashmir to get additional 25,000 troops
The Central government is said to deploy additional 25,000 paramilitary personnel to Jammu and Kashmir, reports said on Thursday. The development comes less than a week after the Centre had rushed 10,000 troops to the Valley. If media reports are to be believed, the additional troops arrived in Jammu and Kashmir early Thursday and are now being deployed in various parts of the state. The deployment of two massive troops has fueled speculations in Kashmir.
In a move by the officials of the Home Ministry, the Centre had decided to deploy an additional 10,000 troops (around 100 companies) in Kashmir Valley last week. The step was aimed at strengthening "counter-insurgent grid" as well as maintaining law and order.
The decision last Saturday came after National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval returned from a two-day visit to the Kashmir Valley, during which he reviewed the law and order situation in the state.
Doval, during his two-day visit to the state, met senior state government officials and top Army commanders who briefed him about the ground situation there. Dilbag Singh, the Director-General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, had earlier, too, requested for the deployment of additional central para-military troops to maintain the law and order situation in the state.
The move, however, was criticised by both the National Conference and PDP.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said the Centre's move to deploy additional troops will create an environment of fear among the residents.
"Centre's decision to deploy additional 10,000 troops to the valley has created fear psychosis amongst people. There is no dearth of security forces in Kashmir. J&K is a political problem which won't be solved by military means. GOI needs to rethink & overhaul its policy," Mehbooba Mufti said.
Former Chief Minister of the state, Omar Abdullah, while tweeting a government order where “special law & order duties” were mentioned said "the BJP & the government need to coordinate better instead of lying."
The fresh deployment of troops comes amid a meeting between Omar Abdullah, his father Farooq Abdullah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I accompanied @JKNC_ President Dr Farooq Abdullah Sb & Hon MP Justice Masoodi Sb (Former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Judge and NC Lok Sabha MP) to a meeting with Hon @PMOIndia this morning. During the course of the meeting we briefed Modi Sb about our assessment of the current situation in the state," Omar Abdullah said in a tweet on Thursday.
"We requested him that no precipitous steps of any sort should be taken that may result in situation in the state, particularly the valley, worsening. We specifically asked him to let subjudice matters be settled by the courts & other matters be settled by an elected government," he added.
"Dr Abdullah Sb reminded the Hon PM that J&K has been without an elected government for well over a year now and requested him to take all necessary steps to facilitate the @ECISVEEP’s conduct of assembly polls before the onset of winter," the former CM further said.
He said the meeting took place in a very cordial atmosphere thanked the Prime Minister.
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Video: 25,000 additional troops being deployed in Jammu & Kashmir
