New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are currently locked in a war of words over the manner in which the terrorist, who attacked the BSF camp on Tuesday, was killed.
DG BSF K K Sharma has contested CRPF's claim that the third terrorist was killed by them after he "pretended" to be a Jawan. "Not to my knowledge," is how DG BSF responded when CNN-News18 asked him if indeed the third terrorist pretended to be an Indian soldier.
CRPF had told CNN-News18 on Tuesday that the third terrorist had sneaked out of the administrative building wearing a uniform similar to that of CRPF's and opened fire on the building.
The CRPF said that its personnel initially thought the terrorist was one of their jawans and even took a few steps towards him in an attempt to help him with more ammunition. But when the terrorist trained his gun on them, he was shot dead.
BSF DG K K Sharma, however, had a different version of the incident. "He came out of the administrative building and lobbed a hand grenade at forces. That is when it was clear that he was a militant.
Otherwise, he was wearing a uniform which looked like that of CRPF. He was, then, shot dead. "
Sharma even questioned that CRPF was anywhere close to the terrorist when he was killed. "CRPF was part of the intermediary cordon, along with SOG. Our (BSF) officers led the operation and near a temple, we (BSF) neutralised the terrorist with help from SOG and CRPF," he told CNN news18.
Intermediary cordon typically refers to the middle ring of personnel which circles the innermost ring of personnel carrying out an operation.
CRPF, when asked to react to BSF DG's statement, said that they stand by their version of events. MoS Home Kiren Rijiju told CNN news18, "There are some issues which we need to look into, but our forces are doing an excellent job and eliminating terrorists. We shouldn't shift focus from that."
A spokesperson of Ministry of home affairs said that the ministry had spoken to both CRPF and BSF on the issue. "As far as the Srinagar operation is concerned, this was a joint operation and the credit is equally shared by all," he said.
Sources within the union ministry, however, expressed displeasure over the unnecessary controversy generated by senior officers of the BSF and CRPF.
"Who can say with certainty that his bullet killed the terrorist? Multiple shots were fired at him by multiple forces who were all part of the operation," an MHA official told CNN-News18. Three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were gunned down inside the BSF camp at Srinagar on Tuesday. One BSF ASI was martyred.
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