India deploys 250 RAF troops to Arunachal Pradesh after Siang dam protests turn violent
The central government ordered two Rapid Action Force companies, about 250 personnel, to be airlifted from Navi Mumbai to Pasighat following riots over the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.
Protests against the planned Siang Upper Multipurpose Project escalated on Friday, with a mob torching the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation office, a police station and the residences of three political leaders, including the state BJP chief, in East Siang district. Chief Minister Pema Khandu condemned the damage but emphasized the right to peaceful protest. The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered two Rapid Action Force companies, roughly 250 officers, to be flown from Navi Mumbai on an Indian Air Force transport aircraft to Pasighat.
These RAF units, a blue-uniformed anti-riot wing of the Central Reserve Police Force, will join the permanent deployment of nearly three CRPF battalions already stationed in Arunachal Pradesh. Officials said the troops should be on the ground by Sunday to restore order after the unrest continued into the early hours of Saturday.
Why it matters
The deployment highlights rising tensions over a strategic hydro-project and the government's need to maintain order in a sensitive border region.
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