Don't wear blue; only RAF can; it dents our image: CRPF reads MHA order to state police

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has decided to take up the matter of state police forces wearing the Rapid Action Force (RAF) pattern blue uniform with state authorities. The CRPF said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued orders to all states saying only RAF is authorised to wear it.

The matter was raised at a high-level meeting

However, even after the MHA issued directions to all state secretaries (Home) for not using blue combat uniform by local police, some states are still using the uniform which is only for Rapid Action Force (RAF). The matter was raised at a high-level meeting chaired by Director General (DG) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) a few days back, ANI reported. 

According to an official communication accessed by the news agency, police wings of West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana and Delhi are wearing combat uniforms.

"Police wings Of West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana and Delhi are wearing blue combat uniform (RAF Pattern). In some recent news/social media pictures/videos, police personnel wearing blue combat uniform (RAF Pattern) were shown chased by a mob in Kolkata (WB) and similarly personnel of Anti-Riot Battalion of Bihar Police were shown stopping commuters. This is creating confusion in minds of media personnel and denting the professional image of RAF/CRPF," say minutes of the CRPF meeting.

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The police force said that the Home Ministry in its letter of May 9 to states and UTs said that Rapid Action Force (RAF), CRPF is authorized by it to wear dark and light blue patches uniform which cannot be used by any other police force. CRPF has decided to take up the matter with state authorities.

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According to the minutes of the meeting, Inspector General (IG) of the RAF will take up the matter with IG concerned of state under intimation and provision directorate will submit the proposal to MHA in this connection.

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(Image Credit: https://crpf.gov.in/)