170 companies deployed on election duty

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 21

Wary of violence, the authorities have deputed nearly 170 companies, a majority of these from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and experienced in dealing with the law and order situation, to ensure incident-free polling and avoid civilian casualties in the first phase of the polling for the Anantnag constituency on Tuesday.

The volatile south Kashmir constituency is going to the polls in three phases, owing to the precarious security situation.

Unlike the first two election phases which covered Baramulla and Srinagar Lok Sabha seats, there will be no Border Security Force (BSF) deployment in Anantnag district.

“We have deployed CRPF companies in Anantnag, which have been in Kashmir from the past nearly one year and are well acquainted with the situation here,” a senior security official said.

Nearly 400 additional companies of CAPF and the J&K Armed Police were available with the authorities for holding the polls in Kashmir.

“As only one district is going to polls, we have deployed only 170 companies who have rich experience in handling law and order in Anantnag,” the officer said, adding that over 50 companies of BSF were also available with the authorities for poll duties. “The BSF has been out of law and order duties and in south Kashmir district, there is fear of violence, so the BSF has not been deployed in Anantnag.”

The additional forces would be apart from the normal deployment of securitymen in the district.

In the recently concluded polls in central Kashmir’s Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, the authorities were able to avoid civilian causalities, despite nearly 40 incidents of stone pelting on polling day which led to injuries to several securitymen and poll officials. In the first phase of polls, a Class VII boy was killed in the frontier Kupwara district.

The authorities in Anantnag have also constituted nearly two dozen Quick Reaction Teams, headed by officers of the ranks of deputy superintendents of police (DSP), drawn from various districts.

The Lok Sabha constituency Anantnag is going to polls in three phases, which has never happened, even during the peak of militancy in 1990s, an indication to how bad the situation is in south Kashmir — the epicentre of new age militancy and protests.

Volatile situation 

• The Lok Sabha constituency Anantnag is going to polls in three phases, which has never happened, even during the peak of militancy in 1990s. Authorities have also constituted nearly two dozen Quick Reaction Teams, headed by officers of the ranks of DSP
• CRPF companies have been deployed in Anantnag as they have been in Kashmir from the past nearly one year and are well acquainted with the situation here. BSF has been out of law and order duties in south Kashmir district, so it has not been given Anantnag duty