BSF, ITBP to replace CRPF for static guard duties in Srinagar
Srinagar, Feb 23: Hours after the central government ordered the deployment of 100 more companies of central armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir, J&K Police on Saturday issued an order replacing the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with the Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBF) for “static guard duties” in Srinagar.
An order issued by the zonal police headquarters, Kashmir said the move to give static duties to BSF and ITBP has been taken to strengthen the law and order grid in Kashmir region.
Various media reports while quoting the police said the move is a practice to place new force as static guard outside as the new force is not well-versed with law and order.
In 1990, when armed insurgency erupted in Kashmir BSF had taken over the internal security.
Earlier, the Union Home Ministry in an order said: “We have to urgently deploy CAPFs (central armed police force) in Jammu & Kashmir. It is requested to provide 100 coys of CAPFs (CRPF-45, BSF-35, SSB-10 & ITBP 10) to Govt of J&K with immediate effect and till further orders. IG (Ops), CRPF is requested to ensure immediate movement of forces in coordination with IG (ops) of all forces,” read a Home Ministry letter to the state government, copies of which have been also sent to IG(Ops) to CRPF, BSF, ITBP and SSB.
The moves come a week after a suicide bomber killed 49 CRPF personnel in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.
