After Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has now decided to withdraw 29 columns of Indian Army from Assam and two columns of Assam Rifles from Tripura. The forces were deployed in Assam and Tripura between December 11 and December 17 to help local police forces in maintaining law and order in the wake of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in the region.
"As things have improved drastically and no incidents of violence or public demonstration have been reported in these states for past few days, these personnel are lying idle," an officer told IANS.
On Tuesday (December 24), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had ordered the withdrawal of 72 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) from the newly formed union territory of Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect. The CAPFs include 24 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and 12 companies each of the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
The decision to withdraw the forces after a high-level meeting was held at the Union Home Ministry to review security in the union territory. The meeting was held to review the security status in Jammu and Kashmir and to prepare a roadmap to keep the region peaceful.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Special Advisor K Vijay Kumar, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, IB Chief Arvind Kumar, J&K Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, CRPF Director General RR Bhatnagar and BSF Director General VK Johri were among those who attended the meeting.
The additional troops were deployed in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 after the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
