Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Saturday warned that restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after revocation of Article 370 could return given risk of terror strikes.
Rawat made the statement at a lecture in Guwahati. Rawat was quoted by The Hindu as saying, "The intelligence network is being strengthened and more monitoring of the people is happening there [in Jammu and Kashmir]. People don’t like the armed forces to become intrusive, but we will have to get back into this fold again and carry out activities to ensure the terrorists do not carry out any activity."
Not surprisingly, Rawat's comments triggered ire in Kashmir. Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who was detained for over a year after abrogation of Article 370, took to Twitter to respond to Rawat.
Mufti claimed Rawat's statement was not surprising. She added it contradicted the Central government's narrative that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved after abrogation of Article 370.
She tweeted, "Even after turning Kashmir into an open air prison, Bipin Rawat’s statement comes as no surprise because repression is GOIs only method to deal with the situation in J&K. It also contradicts their official narrative that all is well here."
Mehbooba also tweeted images that included a person's motorcycle being seized and a child's bag being searched. She wrote, "After taking such stringent, harsh & repressive measures like mass arrests, suspension of internet at will, frisking people (not sparing even kids), seizing bikes plus two wheelers & setting up new security bunkers all over what is left to do?"
During his speech in Guwahati, Rawat had referred to the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan having a possible impact in Kashmir. He said, "India has to be on alert of the possible impact of the situation in Afghanistan in Jammu and Kashmir. We have to seal our borders. Internal monitoring is essential."
