J&K: Order to deploy 10,000 troops creates fear psychosis, says Mehbooba

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has responded angrily to orders of the Narendra Modi government to deploy 10,000 additional paramilitary personnel to Jammu and Kashmir.

Copies of the order, from the ministry of home affairs, have been circulated on social media. The order, dated July 25, notes “in order to strengthen the counter-insurgency grid as well as for maintaining law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” deployment of additional 100 companies of Central armed paramilitary forces has been ordered. A company consists of approximately 100 men.

The paramilitary forces deploying to Jammu and Kashmir are the CRPF (50 companies), BSF and ITBP (10 each) and the SSB (30 companies). The order is also copied to the rail ministry for allotment of special trains to ferry the forces on “top priority”.

Responding to the news, Mufti, who was chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in the PDP-BJP coalition government, said on Saturday the move would create “fear psychosis” among people. Mufti tweeted, “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.”

On Friday, Mufti retweeted a user who suggested that the deployment of 10,000 additional paramilitary personnel was related to the Modi government's plans to revoke Article 35A of the Constitution. Article 35A limits non-natives from buying land and seeking employment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal also saw a link to the revocation of Article 35A in the deployment of the additional paramilitary personnel. Faesal had resigned from the IAS in January and announced his intention to enter politics. Faesal tweeted, “This MHA communique regarding deployment of additional 100 Coys of CAPF is fueling huge anxiety in Kashmir. No one knows why this sudden mobilization of forces is being done. Rumor is that something sinister is about to happen. Article 35a? It is going to be a long night.”

The order to deploy 10,000 additional paramilitary personnel came after a visit to Jammu and Kashmir by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. State police chief Dilbag Singh told NDTV that there were “less troops in north Kashmir and that's why we need additional forces”.