Large troop deployment create fear and rumor mills start working
By: Tariq Shah VOV
Srinagar
Rumor mills have started working in Kashmir especially on the social media platforms as in the recent past large numbers of paramilitary forces have arrived in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the NDTV report, most of these troops which arrived in Jammu and Kashmir have been deployed in North Kashmir and in some parts of Jammu region.
NDTV report has quoted IGP Kashmir Range Vijay Kumar saying that it was a normal re-induction process of paramilitary companies as they have returned from the duties during the recent assembly polls held in several states.
Mainstream political leaders have tweeted about these rumors and some of the have expressed apprehensions that they may be detained again if there is some big development regarding Jammu and Kashmir. On the rumors being floated on the social media platforms, former minister Sajad Gani Lone has said in his tweet, “We want to believe even in rumours rumoured to be rumours. We love rumours don’t we. Last few days has been all about rumours and conspiracies. They say don’t believe a rumour to b true until govt actually denies it”.
Meanwhile NDTV while reporting about these developments has said,
“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 rumors 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 a 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”.
With inputs from NDTV
