Effective response to Pulwama attack showed India can take strong decisions for its troops: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said by giving an "effective response" to 2019 Pulwama attack, India set an example that it can take strong decisions for respect of its troops.

Unveiling a book here on 82-year history of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), largest paramilitary force of country, Shah said central armed police forces (CAPFs) like CRPF are faced with very tough working conditions and y never got ir "due recognition", but his government is determined to ensure that lives of se personnel and ir families are made better.

" country remembers Pulwama attack with a lot of sensitivity and empathy. Forty CRPF personnel were martyred in incident.

"But it was first time that by giving an effective reply, India ensured that this sacrifice of CRPF personnel did t go waste and set an example that it can take strongest decision for respect of its troops," he said.

On February 14, 2019, a CRPF bus, which was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles, was targeted between Jammu and Srinagar by a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber who rammed his explosives-laden car into it, killing 39 personnel on board and one trooper on ground, who was tasked with road-sanitisation duty.

Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out an air strike in Pakistan's Balakot soon after on February 26, targeting terror camps.

Shah said he believes this sacrifice will inspire generations as he spoke at evening event at a CRPF complex in Vasant Kunj area, after returning from a two-day tour of West Bengal.

He praised personnel of CRPF and those of or CAPFs, saying y work under very tough conditions and have definite duty hours.

"I believe that way CAPFs and state police forces work, y never got ir due fame and recognition.

"I am trying to ensure better facilities.... I have t been successful yet.... But we are working to ensure that housing satisfaction level among personnel of CAPFs reaches up to 85 per cent and that every jawan gets to spend 100 days with ir families every year," home minister said.

He lauded CRPF saying it has made a glorious history for itself and re was instance where it showed its back in face of adversity.

Shah said book he released, titled "Rashtra Pratham" (country first), will provide inspiration to serving personnel of force and even to those who aspire to join it and serve country.

" book aptly describes how anti-nation conspiracies hatched by various elements were thwarted by force and I hope that more tales of bravery and cour are added to it," he said.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also attended event.

Earlier in day, CRPF Director General A P Maheshwari declared that third Friday in February will hence forth be observed as "veterans' day".

According to CRPF spokesperson Moses Dhinakaran, force has about four lakh surviving veterans and a number of m were invited to events that were held on Friday.

about 3.25 lakh personnel-strong Central Reserve Police Force was raised as Crown Representative's Police (CRP) under British in 1939 and a decade later, in 1949, it was re-named as CRPF.

It is lead internal security force of country with three of its main tasks being anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorist combat in Jammu-Kashmir and tackling insurgency in rast.