All CAPF contingents except one out of Republic Day parade this time

Marching contingents of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) but the CRPF have been kept out of the forthcoming Republic Day parade in the national capital on January 26, officials said on Monday. The most glaring omission is the squad of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is celebrating its golden jubilee this year.

The about 1.70-lakh personnel strong force, designated as the lead airports and vital installations guarding security unity, was kept out of the iconic parade on national capital's Rajpath last year too.

"None of the paramilitary forces, except the CRPF, have been inducted into the Republic Day marching contingents this time. Therefore, the marching teams of CISF, BSF, ITBP and SSB have not been asked to join the ongoing practice drills on Rajpath," a top security official privy to the development said.

A government order accessed by PTI said only five contingents of forces under the Union Home Ministry have been included for the Republic Day-2019 that includes marching and band contingents of the Assam Rifles, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Central Reserve Police Force, Delhi Police, and the famed camel contingent and band team of the Border Security Force.

A senior CISF official said tableaux of the force, depicting its work profile in various theatres such as airports and Metro security, has however been given in-principle approval to be included into the parade to mark 50 years of its raising this year.

However, the CISF marching contingent has not been allowed on the Rajpath for the second year in a row as there is a rotation policy for participating squads for the past few years, the first official said.

When the history of the golden jubilee year of the force will be written, the absence of the marching contingent from the most iconic military event of the country will be a sore point, a senior CISF Commanding Officer (CO), who requested anonymity, said.

"Such a move has been very disheartening for the CAPFs. A number of times in the past these forces have moved their parent ministry and the Defence Ministry seeking a recourse, but to no avail," the official said.

Last year, both CISF and CRPF were kept out of the event while the contingents of ITBP, SSB and BSF participated in the parade that showcases the defence and security prowess of the country.

The squads, dressed in their best official and ceremonial regalia, march down the citadel of power at Raisina Hills in central Delhi to the 17th century-built monument Red Fort as per tradition. The government, in April 2017, had told Parliament that this random exclusion of the CAPF contingents was being done due to "time constraints" during the annual parade.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had told Rajya Sabha in a written reply that "the MoD (ministry of defence) had also conveyed that any request for an increase in the number of marching contingents (of CAPFs) would not be agreed because of time constraint."

While the paramilitary forces have been protesting and raising this issue against this move since the last few years, the associations of their veterans have petitioned the government saying such a step was "discriminatory" and "hits the moral" of the troops who are deployed on a round-the-clock basis to not only ensure internal security in the country but also guard the Indian borders and undertake anti-Naxal operations.

(With inputs from agencies.)