Bhat Yasir
Reports had emerged last week of the CRPF troops being accommodated at Wedding Halls in various Srinagar areas. The recent news that has come to the fore is that the CRPF troops have been shifted from downtown’s Wedding Hall to an alternate accommodation.
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The CRPF took over wedding (community) halls at Shutrashahi area of uptown Srinagar and Illahibagh-Malbagh area of Downtown, Srinagar, a few days ago.
This move was widely criticized by locals as well as politicians of Kashmir valley, who expressed concern over the move. The development was made after Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the valley, who had also chaired a security review meeting at Srinagar.
Earlier, locals of Shutrashi and Illahibagh-Malpora area of Srinagar had lodged a strong protest against the authorities’ decision of lodging CRPF men in marriage halls in their areas.
When The Kashmiriyat contacted CRPF Spokesman Abhiram Pankaj regarding the shifting of troops, he said, “CRPF is a Federal Police Force and its accommodation and deployment are done by the civil administration and the police of concerned state. The office of DivCom and SSP Srinagar are the right places to comment on these.”
After placing security bunkers at every nook & corner of Srinagar, CRPF personnel have been pushed into marriage halls which is the only private space left for people here. Every day more draconian laws are brought in with the sole purpose of suffocating people into silence.” Former CM Mehbooba mufti tweeted.
My Government built community/marriage halls & demolished bunkers in Srinagar. It’s disappointing to see the security situation in the city has now regressed so far that new bunkers have are being constructed & the marriage halls are being used as barracks for security forces.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 6, 2021
“My Government built community and marriage halls and demolished bunkers in Srinagar. It’s disappointing to see the security situation in the city has now regressed so far that new bunkers are being constructed and the marriage halls are being used as barracks for security forces,” NC vice president Omar Abdullah tweeted.
Kashmir’s senior Journalist, Mufti Islah tweeted a video from the spot and wrote, “CRPF troops move out of a downtown marriage hall after residents had taken up the issue with govt. Troops to be shifted to an alternate accomodation. ”
CRPF troops move out of a downtown marriage hall after residents had taken up the issue with govt. Troops to be shifted to an alternate accomodation. 50 CRPF companies were recently gotten to Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/uzFvQgSb57
— Mufti Islah (@islahmufti) November 7, 2021
At least five additional CRPF companies comprising over 500 men have arrived in Srinagar from South and north Kashmir parts.