The Home Ministry of India on Friday said the deployment of paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir was based on the security situation there and requirements of rotation, and that such things are not discussed in the public domain.
According to the Press Trust of India, sources in the ministry said 100 companies (10,000 personnel) of central forces were ordered for deployment in the state about a week ago and they are in the process of reaching their destinations.
This has apparently led to speculation of induction of additional forces, they said.
“Based on the assessment of the internal security situation, training requirements, the need for paramilitary troops to be rotated for rest and recuperation, induction and de-induction of central forces is a continuous and dynamic process,” a source said.
It has never been the practice to discuss in the public domain the details of deployment and movement of paramilitary forces deployed in a particular theatre, they said.
The home ministry’s response came after reports on Thursday suggested that 28,000 additional troops are in the process of deployment in Jammu and Kashmir, which is currently under President’s Rule.
Speculation is also rife that the Centre may have plans to do away with Article 35A of the Constitution, which gives exclusive rights to the state’s residents in government jobs and land. These speculation have dominated the discourse in Kashmir over the past few days.
Moreover, in a tweet National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah while raising questions over troops being on high alert said:
What “on going situation” in Kashmir would require the army AND the Air Force to be put on alert? This isn’t about 35A or delimitation. This sort of alert, if actually issued, would be about something very different. https://t.co/FTYG36F6aD
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 2, 2019
