Govt deploys 5,000 paramilitary personnel in Northeast as citizenship bill protests continue

Fifty companies were airlifted to the Northeastern states to maintain law and order. Around 2,000 personnel were deployed from Kashmir.

Security personnel fire in the air during a protest march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, at Bokel, in Dibrugarh on 11 December | PTI

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Nearly 20 companies (2,000 personnel) have been withdrawn from Kashmir, where they had been sent prior to the Centre’s decision on August 5 to abrogate Article 370 provisions and split the erstwhile state of Jammu and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The remaining 30 companies have been withdrawn from other places and rushed to Northeastern states, the officials said.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).