While Abdullah scored brownie points by asking for CRPF withdrawal from Baramulla after a youth died in firing on June 30, a little-known fact is that the rattled CM also called for Army to control the situation in the border town within 12 hours of the withdrawal announcement. Abdullah, top government sources told The Sunday Express, called for the Army after Director General K S Khoda made it clear that he needed back-up for the state police as the situation was out of control.

The Centre is expected to hold candid discussions with the CM as the CRPF has now virtually decided that its troopers will not open fire on the agitating crowds until the local magistrate gave the order in writing. This was done after the state police deputy superintendent leading the CRPF patrol in Baramulla first apparently gave orders to fire at the agitating crowd on June 30 and later denied it. It was on this basis that a murder FIR was registered against the CRPF personnel without any post-mortem being conducted on the victims of firing.

The situation in the Valley has come to such a pass that two days ago, the CRPF notified the Centre that it was vacating one street in Sopore as the state police were not coming to its support and the locals were throwing stones and boiling water on the forces. A similar situation is developing in Anantnag where the local secessionists are giving a twist to the death of a youth, who allegedly drowned in a boat capsizing incident.

While Abdullah has not made personal visits or efforts to pacify the masses in Shopian, Sopore or Baramulla, the Centre has found him to be too impulsive in ordering the CRPF out of Baramulla. The fact is that 13 companies of CRPF were withdrawn on June 30 evening after the firing incident but Abdullah himself called the Army next morning after the withdrawn CRPF refused to come back to help the state police.

Government sources said Defence Minister A K Antony took the decision of not deploying Army in Baramulla for law and order situation and got it conveyed to the Home Ministry on the morning of July 1.

The result was that one column of the Army conducted a flag march for just 10-odd minutes in Baramulla and three companies of CRPF were brought back as reserves to support the state police.

The CRPF was called back after DGP Khoda threw up his hands and asked for support. These three CRPF companies are awaiting the induction of state armed police from Jammu before moving out of the sensitive town.