Lok Sabha elections may increase infiltration attempts across LoC: BSF IG.

Important events like the upcoming elections give rise to infiltration attempts across the LOC as snow melts in Jammu and Kashmir, said senior BSF official. A senior BSF official said that chances of infiltration from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, as the snow melts, increase during important events like the upcoming general elections. However, security forces are alert and capable enough to foil any such bid, the official said. BSF Inspector General (Kashmir Frontier) Ashok Yadav said, “The BSF is deputed with the Army on the LoC. The election is an important time and we are ready to thwart any infiltration attempts from across. We are conducting area domination exercises.” Yadav said that the chances of an infiltration bid across the borders are always there but the possibility of this is high when there is an important event like the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “So, the BSF and the Army are alert and ready to foil such attempts,” he added. The BSF IG said that not just important events but the melting of the snow across the Jammu and Kashmir borders also increase the chances of an infiltration bid during April and May. “We have put plans in place to dominate those areas. We have made vulnerability maps and the forces will conduct area domination exercises according to that. The forces are capable to foil any such attempts,” Yadav said. However, the security grid is being maintained and 65 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) are deployed in the hinterland of Kashmir along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Yadav said, “About 65 companies of BSF are deputed in North, South and Central Kashmir ranges and are making security grid stronger and conducting area domination exercises along with the J-K Police. Whatever we have to do to ensure smooth elections, we will do that.”