ISLAMABAD – Indian government takes cosmetic military measures in OccupiedKashmir to befool world on IOK lockdown.
According to an order issued by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, atotal of 72 units of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have beenordered to “revert” immediately to their locations across the country. Onesuch unit has about 100 personnel.
These units are drawn from the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, and the SSB and weresent to the Kashmir Valley after Delhi abrogated Article 370 provisions inJammu and Kashmir.
On 11 December, the Indian parliament passed a controversial bill allowingcitizenship for religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, Jains,Christians, Sikhs, and Parsis, facing persecution in neighbouring states.The opponents see the bill as discriminatory in what critics say is a freshattempt to side-line the nearly 200-million-strong Muslim minority.
The bill triggered major protests in the countrylinkthathave resulted in 22 people killed, over 50 security officers and thousandsof people injured. A week later, the Indian Supreme Court refused tosuspend the implementation of the citizenship law as amended, despite theongoing unrest in the country.
Read Top Stories
linkTensions between India and Pakistan increased in August when IndianPresident Ram Nath Kovind signed a decree revoking Article 370 of theIndian Constitution, which had ensured the special status of Jammu andKashmir state for decades. Under the government’s new initiative, Jammu andKashmirlinkwasdivided into two union territories that are under New Delhi’s control.
Pakistan reacted angrily to India downgrading the Muslim-majority region toa territory and promised to protect Kashmiris. It expelled the Indianambassador, halted bilateral trade, and promised to raise the issue withthe International Court of Justice, Sputnik has reported.
The ongoing nationwide protests in India are a result of parliament passinga bill on 11 December that allowed granting citizenship to Hindus,Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, and Parsis facing persecution inneighbouring countries. Muslims were not included in the bill.
