No immediate plan to withdraw troops from J&K: Union Minister

Hyderabad: The Centre, which had made Jammu and Kashmir a union territory, has no immediate plans to withdraw security forces from the troubled region in view of the continued tension, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said here on Wednesday.

"Why will we withdraw troops (security forces) immediately from there when Pakistan is trying to provoke. Pakistan was trying to provoke Kashmirs and disturb the peace so that it can go to international community (to complain). The decision whether to withdraw or not will be taken by the local administration," Reddy said.

He said the situation in J&K is peaceful now and the Home Minister Amit Shah is regularly monitoring the situation.

Schools are open. In some places section 144 has been withdrawn. Government offices have started working. We are gradually relaxing some of the controls imposed. Internet and telephone services have been restored barring a few districts (four or five)," he said.

Opposition leaders should wait for some days to hold meetings in Jammu and Kashmir as the Centre has imposed certain restrictions in view of Pakistan's intentions to see law and order is disturbed there, Reddy said.

Pakistan would like to see peace disturbed in J&K to tell the world that the government of India's decisions vis-a-vis the state are wrong, he said.

Asked for his comments on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the reports of violence, he said, "small incidents" are not happening for the first time. Now, there is no "tense situation in Jammu and Kashmir" where there used to be months-long curfew with leaders jailed for years in the past as well, he said.

"This is not new. We took some decisions such as imposing restrictions as a precautionary measure, keeping in view Pakistan's attempts to provoke and conspire to somehow disturb law and order in Jammu and Kashmir. Certainly not to inconvenience people," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here.