The Union Home Ministry, in a late night order issued on Friday (26 July) directed the deployment of 100 additional companies of paramilitary forces in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, reports Livemint.

Former IAS officer and president of the J&K People's Movement, Shah Faesal said in a tweet, "This MHA communique regarding deployment of additional 100 Coys of CAPF is fueling huge anxiety in Kashmir. No one knows why this sudden mobilization is being done. Rumor is that something sinister is about to happen. Article 35A?"

The order read that 50 of the 100 additional companies will be deployed from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), of which nine will be moved to the Valley from New Delhi. The rest of the 50 companies will be deployed from the Border Security Force (BSF), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The state of Jammu and Kashmir already has a presence of 40,000 paramilitary personnel and the implementation of the newly issued directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs shall lead to deployment of another 10,000 personnel.