Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra, whose son has been arrested for allegedly mowing down farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, will officiate as the chief guest of a Border Security Force (BSF) event to be held here this week to honour its troops who laid down their lives in the line of duty, an official said on Wednesday.
The day-long commemoration event will be held at the National Police Memorial (NPM) on October 23 in central Delhi's Chanakyapuri area.
The country's largest border guarding force, with about 2.65 lakh personnel in its ranks, is primarily tasked with guarding over 6,300 km of Indian fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country.
A total of 1,927 BSF personnel have been killed in action till date. "In the morning session, officers and families of BSF personnel will be joining the families of the martyrs in paying homage at the 'wall of valour' at the NPM followed by felicitating next-of-kin of the bravehearts.
"In the evening session, a grand 'shaheed samman parade' will be conducted at the venue, with the chief guest and honourable minister of state for home affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra laying a wreath at the memorial," a BSF statement said.
Eight people, including four farmers, were killed during a farmers' protest in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh on October 3. Later, a special investigation team (SIT) of UP Police arrested Mishra's son Ashish in this case.
The farmers had alleged that Ashish Mishra was present in one of the vehicles during the incident, a charge which has been denied by him. The minister's son claimed he was present in Banbirpur village at the time to attend a wrestling event.
Among the eight killed, four were farmers, one was a local journalist and three were BJP workers.
Mishra, during the BSF event, is also expected to flag off an all-women 'mashaal' motorcycle rally that will pass through some of the iconic landmarks in the national capital.
The minister has attended office and officiated as the chief guest of a BPRD (a police think tank of the central government) event after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident even as opposition parties demanded his resignation on moral grounds.
"BSF war veterans and gallantry awardees will be felicitated following a grand band display and an audiovisual show displaying the valor and services of the personnel," the statement said.
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