The tussle between the top brass of the state police and the Central security forces in Chhattisgarh has reportedly forced the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to shift all its IPS officers engaged in anti-Naxal operations there outside the state.
Currently, not even a single IPS cadre officer of the CRPF is deployed in Chhattisgarh for fighting Naxals. Recently, the office of the CRPF Special DG (Central Zone), Vijay Raman (IPS), has also been shifted from Raipur to Kolkata.
Prior to this, admitting lapses at the command level in the anti-Naxal operations in Dantewada, in which 76 personnel were killed by the left-wing ultras on April 6, 2010, the CRPF had shunted out the force Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Nalin Prabhat, an IPS, from Chhattisgarh to Chandigarh. However, Mr Prabhat was holding additional charge of DIG Dantewada.
According to sources, at present even the posts of IGs (both operations and administration) of the CRPF in Chhattisgarh are being held by CRPF cadre officers. Besides, CRPF cadre officers are also holding the posts of DIGs of Dantewada, Narayanpur, Bijapur and Raipur also, sources added.
“Right from IGs to DIGs in CRPF in Chhattisgarh are from CRPF cadre. Not even a single IPS-cadre officer is posted in CRPF in Chhattisgarh. This might have happened because of the differences with top officials of Chhattisgarh police”, sources added. It may be recalled that top officials of the state police on several occasions criticised the functioning of the senior officials of the CRPF posted in Chhattisgarh, sources added.
However, talking to this newspaper, Director General (CRPF), Vikram Srivastava, said, “It is not a question of tussle at all. All anti-Naxal operations in the state are being planned jointly by top officials of the state police as well as CRPF”. There is nothing like shifting of IPS cadre officers, he added.
“Capable officers of the CRPF have been posted in Chhattisgarh. It does not mean that those who were posted earlier were not capable. It should not be misinterpreted. In all the Naxal-affected states, both states police as well as the CRPF and other paramilitary forces, are jointly fighting against left wing ultras”, said Mr Srivastava.