Dimapur, July 15 (MExN): It appears Nagaland’s ‘Indian Reserved Battalions’ are in high demand for law and order deployments in the mainland. The entire unit of the 11th (NAP) IR on Thursday, July 15 left for Andhra Pradesh led by the unit’s commandant, K. Mero.
Nagaland Director General of Police, K Kire, revealed that the unit was requisitioned for deployment in one of the largest southern states of the country. The deployment is for the ensuing bye-elections scheduled for July 27 next. Twelve Assembly constituencies of Andhra Pradesh will go to the polls on the said date. The DGP said the unit will return most probably in August after a deployment of not less than 15 days. Kire said that the ‘jawans’ have been deployed specifically for ‘election duties’ and nothing more.
There was request for at least six companies from the state’s police force, the DGP said. The 11th IRB made for the requisite demand, he added.
With casual talks doing the rounds about any one of the Naga IR Battalions being called up for duty in ‘Maoist affected’ regions of the country, the DGP denied there has been any such specific requisition at present. There are demands from other mainland states for aiding normal law and order activities, he added though. He did not mention any particular state’s name,. If it does come about the 10th IRB will most probably be the next in line (serial wise), the DGP said.
When contacted Thursday at 1 pm, commandant of the 11 IRB (NAP), K Mero, said that all six companies of the 11 IRB numbering 700-750 personnel were already onboard in the special train for election duty in Andhra Pradesh. “We are already on board the train here at Dimapur railway station and about to move out anytime,” Mero told the Morung Express. The commandant said that the battalion is likely to return to Nagaland in the first week of August after completion of the election process in Andhra Pradesh.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced July 27 as the date for by-election to 12 assembly seats in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.
ECI has decided to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) in seven constituencies and ballot papers in five constituencies in the upcoming by-elections. Since the introduction of EVMs, this is the first time that both ballot papers and EVMs are being used in an Indian election.
