Rajnath warns against troop reduction

New Delhi: BJP on Monday said that the debate on “troop reduction” in some areas of Jammu and Kashmir has led to a political crisis.

The party said that the Centre should not withdraw forces from the Valley as long as terrorist activities continue in India.

“The Prime Minister had assured that the Army will not be withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir but in the last three months the forces were withdrawn because of which a crisis had emerged in Rajouri and Doda areas," BJP President Rajnath Singh said in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

“As long as terrorist activities in India are being operated from the Pakistan territory, the Army should not be withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir," Singh added.

Singh warned that the country will pay heavily if troops are reduced.

“I warn the Prime Minister, no such steps should be taken for which the country will pay a big price," Singh said.

The BJP president alleged that the Centre was not “serious” about the country's internal security and the Opposition should be taken into confidence on that matter.

"The Centre is not taking it (internal security) as a challenge and we believe the government has an ulterior motive for which it is not taking any action," he said.

Leaving no opportunity to take potshots at the Centre, Singh said, “On the internal security, there was every need to take more stricter actions, but instead of doing that the Centre abolished the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (POTA).”

He also alleged that the Centre was involved in "appeasement politics".

The POTA was abolished without bringing in any other similar act, which clearly reflected that the Centre was involved in "appeasement politics", Singh said.

He also blamed the Manmohan Singh government for the "increasing" Naxal menace in the country.

"Naxalite menace is not confined to Chhattisgarh alone. But despite several demands the Centre is not coming up with an integrated action plan on Left-wing extremism," he said.

Although, he avoided a direct reply to the Rani Bodli incident, in which 55 policemen were killed by Naxals on March 15 in the state, the BJP president claimed that the situation in the state was under control.

(With PTI inputs)