GOVERNOR S RULE IMPOSED IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to imposition of Governor s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the eighth time in the last four decades J&K was put under Governor s rule and third time under J&K Governor N N Vohra tenure.
BASICS In case of failure of constitutional machinery in any other state of India, President s Rule is imposed under Article 356 of the Constitution. But in case of J&K, as per Section 92 of state Constitution, Governor s Rule s imposed in the state only after the consent of the President of India in case of failure of constitutional machinery for period of six months
AFTER 6 MONTHS During the Governors rule, State Assembly is either suspended or dissolved. If the Constitutional machinery is not restored before the expiry of this six month period, the provision of Article 356 of the Constitution of India are extended to J&K and the President s rule is imposed in the State.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN J AND K Governor N N Vohra has reviewed security measures and brought in former top cop Vijay Kumar, a counterinsurgency specialist, as one of his two advisors.
THE TOP SECURITY AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 1) NSG to combat terrorists in Kashmir: The National Security Guards (NSG) will be deployed soon for counter-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir What will the NSG be doing there? The black cats will be helpful in situations where room-toroom intervention is required.
WHY NSG The commandos use sophisticated Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns, sniper rifles, through-the-wall radar and C-4 explosives to eliminate holed up terrorists without causing much damage to the structure.
ORIGIN The NSG was raised in 1984 in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star, which was carried out to flush out terrorists hiding in the Golden Temple in Punjab s Amritsar city. The Black Cat commandos were deployed to tackle terrorists who carried out the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, the January 2016 attack at the Pathankot air base as well as the terrorists who attacked the Akshardham temple in Gujarat. There are around 7,500 personnel currently working with the NSG.
MILITARY OPERATIONS TO CONTINUE AS USUAL As Governor Vohra held multiple meetings in Srinagar on Wednesday, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat said the ongoing military operations in the Valley against terrorists would continue as earlier. Governor's rule in the state is unlikely to have any impact on ongoing military operations, General Rawat told reporters in New Delhi.
IPS OFFICER WHO LED TO VEERAPPAN'S END TO ADVISE GOVERNOR K Vijay Kumar, a former IPS officer and an anti- Maoist expert, has been named advisor to Governor Vohra. Kumar's experience ranges from jungle warfare and security detail to counterinsurgency. Also, Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer B V R Subrahmanyam has been appointed the Chief Secretary of the state in place of B B Vyas.
MORE FREEDOM Under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1990 of Jammu and Kashmir, the security forces enjoy additional protection in the state while operating in "disturbed areas". These forces operate under the directions of the central government's authority. State governments have traditionally opposed AFSPA. With Mehbooba Mufti government gone, the security forces are now likely to have more freedom in conducting Operation All Out against militants in Jammu and Kashmir.
SEPARATIST LEADERS DETAINED Authorities on Thursday placed senior separatist leaders under detention in the summer capital, Srinagar, to prevent their participation in a shutdown that derailed life in the Kashmir Valley. Police took Muhammad Yasin Malik, chairman of pro-azadi Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), into preventive custody in Srinagar to stop him from taking out a protest march in the city. Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani were placed under house arrest at their residences on the outskirts of Srinagar.