By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : Amidst demands for reduction of troops in Jammu and Kashmir, Governor S K Sinha Monday made it amply clear that the situation was not ripe for any such move as the insurgency was yet not under control.
“People, who are demanding demilitarisation do no not know what it means. It means vacating the entire region of the army. Return of troops can take place when insurgency is under control, then the police can take over. Unfortunately we have not reached that stage yet,” Sinha told reporters here on the sidelines of a release of a book – “Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: The Untold Story”.
The 81-year-old Army veteran, who was among the first sorties, who touched the Srinagar airfield in 1948, said the troop reduction had become a “favourite topic” for everybody and political parties were moving around claiming that one does not require 500,000 army for 1,000 militants.
“Let me tell you that there are thousand of sleeper cells and thousands of militants are waiting to take over, so let us not get misled by such superficial analysis,” he said.
The comments from Sinha came amid demands from PDP, part of the ruling coalition in the state, which has been demanding reduction of troops engaged in counter-insuregncy duties.
To a question whether there was an increase in the levels of infiltration in the state, he said it was always going up and down and during the months of April and May this year, the figures were alarming.
To a question about the reported presence of Al Qaeda in the region, he said “not that I know of it but there might be some sympathisers, yes.”