New Delhi: A BSF jawan, deployed along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir, has alleged that troops are facing “cruelty” as they are served bad quality food and even have to go “empty stomach” at times, prompting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to order “appropriate action”.
In videos uploaded on social media platforms, the jawan, wearing camouflage uniform and carrying a rifle, claimed that while government procures essentials for them, the higher-ups and officers “sell it off” in an “illegal” manner in the market and they have to suffer.
While the border guarding force said it has initiated an inquiry and sent a Deputy Inspector General rank officer to the place of his deployment, the Home Minister took to Twitter to say he has sought a report.
“I have seen a video regarding a BSF jawan’s plight. I have asked the HS (Home Secretary) to immediately seek a report from the BSF & take appropriate action,” Singh tweeted.
In at least three different videos clocking over 4-minutes released online, constable T B Yadav (40) of BSF’s 29th battalion also goes on to show the food that is allegedly being served to him.
“We only get a ‘parantha’ and tea as breakfast and this is without any pickle or vegetables… we slog for 11 hours and at times we have to stand throughout the duty hours. For lunch, we get ‘dal’ (pulses) which only has ‘haldi’ (turmeric) and salt… with roti. This is the quality of the food we get … how can a jawan do his duty? “I request the Prime Minister to get this probed. “… No one shows our plight,” Yadav alleged, adding, “It is atyachaar (cruelty) and anyay (injustice) against us.”
He said he “may not be here” hinting action might be taken against him for shooting and uploading the video a s he urged people to take the issue forward so that corrective action is taken.
The Border Security Force took cognisance of the video and tweeted from its official handle that an inquiry has been ordered. “BSF is highly sensitive to the welfare of tps(troops). Individual aberrations, if any, are enquired into. A senior officer has already rchd (reached) the location,” the force tweeted after tagging the video. (PTI)
