NEW DELHI: Asserting that there was no reduction in the troops level in Jammu and Kashmir, the Government on Monday said redeployment did not mean reduction or demilitarisation. The Government also emphasised it would deal firmly with terrorism and continue dialogue with responsible individuals/groups in its quest to establish peace in the state.

"Redeployment is different from reducing (force levels) and demilitarisation is different. There is no question of withdrawal of forces and no question of demilitarisation till terrorism ends," Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil told the Lok Sabha intervening in a debate on the opposition sponsored adjournment motion following the Doda and Udhampur killings this month. The motion was defeated by a voice vote.

Opposition's insistence that the adjournment motion be taken up straightaway led to disruption of question hour in the Lok Sabha while the Rajya Sabha saw repeated adjournments over procedural wrangling. The opposition insisted that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister or the Defence Minister be present despite the Government's stand that they were in the Lok Sabha for the same debate.

Mr. Patil said the Government was doing its duty in combating terrorism and it did not seek to condone the latest incidents by pointing fingers about some 30-odd incidents in the region when the National Democratic Alliance Government was in office. He said, incidence of violence in the state has "come down drastically." The State Government has beefed up security, extended all possible help to the victims and the next of kin of those killed in the latest incidents.

Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani charged the Government with failure in making security arrangements for the protection of lives of citizens in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP leader said he viewed these incidents in a different light of having a sinister design of "religious cleansing." Mr. Advani and later former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee pointed out to a party resolution of 1994 cautioning then of the situation in the Doda region going the Kashmir Valley way that forced Kashmiri Pandits to leave their homes.

Mr. Advani sought to know whether the Government planned to reduce presence of force and said it was not possible to deal with militants who get emboldened on account of the Government's attitude. Mr. Vajpayee said use of words like demilitarisation should be done with care and emphasised that there should be no reduction in force level in Jammu and Kashmir.

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