BSF Leadership Shake-up Amid Rising Border Tensions

The Centre has removed BSF Director General Nitin Agrawal and Special DG Y B Khurania, sending them back to their state cadres amid escalating terror incidents along the India-Pakistan border. The government cited 'premature' repatriation orders, with Khurania potentially becoming the head of Odisha's police force.

The Centre on Friday ousted BSF Director General Nitin Agrawal and his deputy Special DG (West) Y B Khurania, sending them back to their state cadres with immediate effect, as per a government directive.

The repatriation orders for these two Indian Police Service officers come in the wake of escalating terror incidents in Jammu along the India-Pakistan border. This year alone, at least 22 people, including 11 security personnel and a village defense guard member, have been killed in incidents across multiple districts. The BSF, responsible for guarding this frontier, denies any infiltration instances; however, five terrorists were neutralized in encounters in Kathua and Doda districts last month.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) issued separate orders, describing the repatriations as 'premature' and effective immediately. Agrawal, a 1989-batch Kerala cadre IPS officer, assumed the role of BSF chief in June last year, with a scheduled retirement in 2026. Meanwhile, Khurania, a 1990-batch Odisha cadre officer, is anticipated to assume the role of either the head of Odisha's police force or the director general of police, aligning with the recently elected BJP government in the state.

(With inputs from agencies.)