Deployment of additional troops in J&K; locals suspect ‘something big’ going to happen: Report

Srinagar: A large number of paramilitary forces have arrived in Jammu and Kashmir with most of them deployed in North Kashmir and parts of Jammu region, the NDTV reported on Monday.

This is for the first time the union territory is witnessing such a forces build-up since August 2019, when special status of the erstwhile state was unilaterally scrapped by New Delhi before its bifurcation into two union territories, reports said.

Local leaders say such a massive troop movement is leading to worries about something big going to happen. Some political leaders who were detained after special status to the state was scrapped said they feared they could be detained again.

The report, however, quoted unnamed officials having said there is no truth in rumours of the troop movement as a prelude to some big development. A senior police officer said the troops arriving in the union territory are those who earlier went for election duty to West Bengal and other states.

“These troops are returning from states where elections were held recently. They are being re-inducted. It’s not new deployment,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar was quoted saying.

Officials according to reports have said some 200 companies of paramilitary forces from Jammu and Kashmir were sent to states for assembly elections, mostly to West Bengal. Fifty companies returned a month ago, and the rest are coming back now and being redeployed.

“Before the announcement in August 2019 to scrap special status of the erstwhile state, at least 800 additional companies drawn from central paramilitary forces were rushed to Kashmir valley.”

Last year, 100 companies were pulled out from J&K and sent to the mainland India after protests broke out against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). (NDTV)

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