AK-47, X-95 to replace CRPF personnel's Insas

CRPF personnel deployed for anti-Maoist operations will get AK-47 or Israeli-made X-95 instead of Insas rifles with the Home Ministry positively considering the suggestion from the force.

The demand was raised before Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh months ago by CRPF personnel when he visited Jharkhand. The weapons will be changed in a phased manner and all personnel will get AK-47 or X-95.

“There was a problem being reported by our troops on the ground that the Insas rifles were jamming,” CRPF Director General Dilip Trivedi said.

He said AK-47 and X-95 will be given to personnel after withdrawing Insas rifles in a phased manner.

Three-lakh-strong CRPF has deployed around 90,000 personnel for anti-Maoist operations. This is the highest deployment by any paramilitary force for anti-Maoist actions.

Acknowledging the CRPF’s contribution in countering Maoist menace, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the CRPF is also fighting against the proxy war launched against the country. “It is very difficult to fight such a war. The CRPF has lost many lives in fighting this proxy war,” he said at 75th raising day of CRPF in Gurgaon. The CRPF is deployed in many critical areas and 38 per cent of the force is deployed in LWE theatre. Around 80 per cent of the force works in high-risk zone, Singh said.

He said that in a democratic country like India, there was no place for violence and Maoists should join the mainstream.

However, Singh made it clear that they will have to abjure violence as killing of innocents leads to nowhere.

Claiming that Mao’s ideology was forgotten in China, he said, “But here you are killing your innocent countrymen by following that ideology. I would like to appeal to the Maoists to shun violence. Our democratic values are very strong. I would like to ask them to change the power through democracy and not through guns.”

He said CRPF not only plays an active role in facing the challenges of internal security but also provides security cover during elections.

 On security cover for Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, which are going to Assembly polls, he told reporters that the Home Ministry is ready to send more forces to these states if there is a need. Around 51,000 extra paramilitary personnel will be deployed in these states for poll duty.