New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday airlifted 5,000 paramilitary personnel to Northeastern states, including Assam, for maintenance of law and order duties in wake protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which is being debated in Parliament, officials said.
Nearly 20 companies (2,000 personnel) have been withdrawn from Kashmir, where they had been sent prior to the Centre’s decision on August 5 to abrogate Article 370 provisions and split the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
The remaining 30 companies have been withdrawn from other places and rushed to Northeastern states, the officials said.
The troops are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Also read: Inner Line Permit extended to Manipur as citizenship bill protests disrupt Northeast region
Events, dear boy, events. One cannot judge if that point has been reached – recall the exact moment when power is cut back and an aircraft begins its descent – but we are certainly heading in that direction. Too many fronts are being opened up, even as earlier decisions like 5th August are unravelling. Judgment calls like that furtive dawn swearing in ceremony prove to be off key, off colour. The sense of siege which a spirited media had created for UPA II Is missing. However, abroad, the script is broken. The wisest people who advise the government and the party should stick their necks out and give some good advice.