Govt eases out troops deployment in Kashmir with ‘immediate effect’ – india news

More than four months after the abrogation of Article 370, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has finally started easing out the deployment of thousands of troops in the Valley.

The ministry of home affairs on Monday ordered the withdrawal of 72 companies or approximately 7000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) with “immediate effect” and deploy them to their respective posts.

They included troops from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Earlier, around 20 companies were withdrawn from Kashmir and deployed in Assam in the second week of December.

Apart from the regular 61 battalions or nearly 62,000 personnel of CRPF, the Centre had rushed 70 more battalions—around 75,000 personnel—to J&K in August and September for the law and order duties and counter-insurgency operations.

“The situation is very much under control in J&K and things are back to normal. The operations against terror groups will continue and law and order situation will be monitored on a regular basis,” an official with the home ministry said.

According to the government, not even a single death has happened due to police firing in law and order related incidents in J&K during this period.

“During this period, 197 persons have been injured in law and order related incidents. During the same period, three security force personnel and 17 civilians have been killed in terror-related incidents while 129 persons got injured,” the home ministry had said in Parliament.

The BJP-led central government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5.

The erstwhile state was put under an unprecedented security lockdown and severe restrictions were imposed, particularly in the Valley.

Apart from the deployment of additional troops, curfew was imposed in several parts, communication clampdown was put in place and several mainstream political leaders were arrested.