After 11 years, BSF deployed in Srinagar

 With relentless protests and a spurt in militant attacks, the Border Security Force (BSF), which was taken off counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir in 2005, was redeployed in Srinagar on Monday.

Reports said BSF personnel were deployed in Lal Chowk, the city centre, and adjoining areas for law and order duties. While no official was ready to comment on the deployment of the paramilitary force, sources said BSF will replace the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in some sensitive areas of Srinagar and Kashmir to counter the rising militancy.

This is for the first time since 2004 that BSF has been called in for active duty in Srinagar.

“Eyebrows are being raised over the operations of CRPF in tackling stone-pelters and militancy as the paramilitary force is being accused of alienating people in Kashmir by its methods,” a source said.

“BSF is a more lethal force specialised in counter-insurgency than CRPF. BSF is also better equipped in terms of weapons,” they said.

In 2005, after fighting militants for 14 years, BSF was replaced with CRPF in Kashmir. In the first phase of the de-induction, CRPF took over Srinagar city and Anantnag town from BSF.

The decision to relieve BSF from counter-insurgency duties was taken by the then Congress-led UPA government after a group of ministers had recommended separate duties for various paramilitary forces.

BSF personnel had killed 2,800 militants during the force’s 14 years of engagement in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir. That comprised 100 top commanders, including the prized scalp of Gazi Baba who was India’s most-wanted militant following the December 13, 2001, attack on the Parliament House. The force had arrested 9,400 militants and seized 10,600 weapons.

The BSF troops were then moved to their primary duty of guarding the Line of Control and the international border.