First Denial Then Action

The BSF did exactly this in the controversy raked up by a constable on Facebook a fortnight ago

New Delhi : First deny the allegations hitting headlines and then quietly shunt out the suspect. The Border Security Force (BSF) did exactly this in the controversy raked up by a constable on Facebook a fortnight ago.

In its report to the Home Ministry, it denied the allegation of poor quality of food supplied to its personnel posted along the Kashmir border and then quietly transferred the constable’s supervisor to a unit headquarter in a remote location in Tripura to be under the command of a senior with no independent decision-making powers.

Prawin Kumar, who has been shunted out from the 29th Battalion in J&K”s Poonch region, is an ex-officer of the Indian Air Force. Two years ago also, he was allegedly accused of being in cahoots with the coal mafia and the inquiry officer had recommended that he be kept under supervision.

Even while an inquiry by a DIG-level officer is being conducted in the videos uploaded by Constable Tej Bahadur Yadav on the Facebook, another parallel inquiry by a panel headed by an additional DIG is being carried out with a dietician at the messes on the border to ensure the security personnel get the best food to be in the best shape for the difficult duties they have to perform.

The ministry had expressed displeasure over reports of the soldiers complaining about food and asked the BSF to ensure that there is no compromise on the quality. The force has been also asked to prepare a detailed report on transportation, stocking and distribution of rations meant for its jawans on the border.

While the BSF publicised shifting of constable Yadav from the line of control in Poonch to a battalion in Rajouri, accusing him of insubordination, it kept under wraps transfer of his boss as also sending the mess commander of the 29th Battalion on leave pending inquiry.