NEW DELHI: CRPF Director General Kuldiep Singh on Thursday claimed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has “improved significantly” since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Addressing journalists in the national capital, two days ahead of the 83rd Raising Day parade to be held in Jammu, Singh said as many as 175 terrorists were killed and 183 were apprehended by the Central Reserve Police Force in Jammu and Kashmir between March 1, 2021, and March 16, 2022.
Speaking on the recent spike in violence in J&K, Singh said, “It is not as if the situation is out of hand. After the abrogation of Article 370, the incidents of stone-throwing are almost nil. There is a decrease in the infiltration of foreign terrorists and attacks.”
The CRPF also eliminated 19 Maoists and arrested 699 in various operations in Left Wing Extremism-affected states during the same period, he said. The DG further said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is “very good” and is “improving further”.
The CRPF chief said the paramilitary force is currently providing security cover to 117 persons of various categories.
He said a total of 41 VIPs were provided security cover by the CRPF during recently concluded Assembly elections in five states and the security of 27 protectees have been withdrawn post-elections.
When asked about delays in evacuation of CRPF personnel, Singh said he will hold himself responsible for delays in air-evacuation of injured personnel but pointed out that sometimes “practical difficulties” crop up in executing such operations in the anti-Naxal combat domain.
Talking about a recent incident in which an injured CRPF officer in Bihar could not be airlifted for over seven hours, he said that “why the helicopter could not evacuate the officer or during other operations is a big technical issue”.
“If you ask who is responsible for this, I would hold myself responsible, it is our responsibility to ensure helicopters are provided to troops because it is we who ask our troops to go out for operations. If anyone is to be blamed, it is me. But I can tell you that pilots and agencies operating sorties in these areas are professionals,” he said.
