A week after deployment, BSF withdrawn from Kashmir valley

Srinagar, Aug 30 (PTI) With curfew lifted from all but twopolice station areas of Kashmir, BSF troops deployed to quellstreet protests were today withdrawn suddenly and replaced bythe CRPF, barely a week after deployment, apparently followingdemands by the political parties and Chief Minister MehboobaMufti. The border guarding force was deployed in the restiveValley after a gap of 12 years. As a fall out of the decision, four companies of CRPF,which were deployed for route sanitisation exercise for PrimeMinister and other SPG protectees in Delhi, have beenwithdrawn. The task will now be undertaken by the BSF, whichis mandated for guarding Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladeshborders. A total of 25 fresh companies of CRPF are now being sentto the Valley for replacing the BSF. So far, 18 companies (around 1,800 personnel) of CRPF havereached the Valley out of which eight have been sent to northKashmir. One company, which was on static duty at the statesecretariat, has been replaced by ITBP. The sources said several political parties had demandedwithdrawal of the BSF from the Valley during their talks withUnion Home Minister Rajnath Singh recently. It is understoodthat Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had alsosought its withdrawal during her meeting with Prime MinisterNarendra Modi. The BSF, which was taken off counter-insurgency operationsin Jammu and Kashmir in 2004, was deployed in the Valley lastweek after a gap of 12 years. BSF personnel were deployed in the commercial hub of LalChowk in the city and adjoining areas for law and orderduties. This was for the first time since 2004 that BSF wascalled for active duties in the city. The force, whichconducted anti-militancy operations in Kashmir for nearly 13years from 1991, was replaced in the city by the CentralReserve Police Force in 2004. PTI NES SKL SKSK