Amid reports about a surge in troops posted in Jammu and Kashmir in the past few-weeks, the Home Ministry said today that deployment in the state was based on the assessment of the internal security situation and other considerations like the need to rotate soldiers. This movement, the ministry believed, had led to speculation that extra forces were being sent to the Kashmir Valley.

The Centre has ordered rushing of about 10,000 central forces personnel to the Kashmir valley in order to strengthen counter-insurgency operations and law and order duties there, officials said Saturday. They said the Union home ministry has ordered the deployment of 100 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) on July 25 on an "immediate" basis.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is set to lose top security cover that only a dozen other political leaders have. He will no longer be protected by black cat commandos of the National Security Guard, the home ministry has decided, according to sources. The decision was reportedly taken after a comprehensive review of VIP protectees by the Home Ministry.