Large Troop Movement In J&K As Paramilitary Forces Return From Poll Duty

A large number of paramilitary forces have arrived in Jammu and Kashmir. Most of them have been deployed in north Kashmir and parts of Jammu region. The massive troop build-up has led some local leaders to raise concerns as this is for the first time Jammu and Kashmir is seeing such a build-up since August 2019, when special status to the state was scrapped and it was divided into two Union Territories.

Officials, however, have said there is no truth in rumours of the troop movement as a prelude to some big development. The troops arriving in the Union Territory are those who went for election duty to West Bengal and other states, a senior police officer said.

"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 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.

Officials 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 to the state, at least 800 additional companies drawn from central paramilitary forces were rushed to Kashmir valley.

Early last year, 100 companies were pulled out from Jammu and Kashmir and sent to other parts of the country after protests broke out against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.