President pays tributes to slain CRPF men at National Police Memorial
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind Tuesday paid tributes to the police and paramilitary personnel killed in the line of duty, including the 40 CRPF men killed in the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, at the National Police Memorial here.
Kovind paid his respects to the slain security personnel and laid a wreath at the memorial during a remembrance service that marks the annual "Valour Day" event of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The National Police Memorial, a 30-foot-tall and 238-tonne black granite structure, was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 21 last year on the occasion of the police commemoration day.
It was for the first time that the President visited the memorial located in Chanakyapuri area of the national capital.
Kovind, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, was accorded a "national salute" and presented a guard of honour by a joint column of troops from all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) such as the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB.
Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Director of Intelligence Bureau Rajiv Jain, Director of CRPF Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, other officials of paramilitary, police forces and the Union home ministry attended the event.
The day is celebrated to remember a gallant fight back by the CRPF men at the Sardar post in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch in 1965.
The troops were posted on border-guarding duties that time and the event is mentioned as one of the glorious chapters in the country's military history when only two companies (about 150 personnel) of the force stood their ground and repulsed a Pakistani brigade attack.
The force was tasked to secure the post seeing the aggressive posturing of the other side and the location was at a flat area, which was tactically disadvantageous.
On the intervening night of 8-9 April (1965), 3,500 men of the 51st Infantry Brigade of Pakistan, comprising the 18 Punjab Battalion, the 8 Frontier Rifles and the 6 Baluch Battalion, had stealthily launched a simultaneous assault on the Sardar and Tak posts under an operation code-named "Desert Hawk".
The combat lasted 12 hours, during which the Pakistanis made three attempts to overrun the Sardar post, but was repulsed with heavy casualties by some dare-devil action of the CRPF men.
The retaliation by the CRPF personnel saw the numerically superior and better-armed Pakistani side retreating the areas and leaving behind 34 bodies of their soldiers, including two officers.
Four Pakistani soldiers were taken as hostages while six CRPF men made the supreme sacrifice and the post was saved.
The over three lakh personnel-strong force remembers all its slain men by observing "Valour Day" on April 9
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Samson's unbeaten 87 powers CSK to eight-wicket win over DC
New Delhi (PTI): Sanju Samson bossed the chase with authority, anchoring a modest 156-run target with a fluent 87 not out as Chennai Super Kings outclassed Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in the IPL here on Tuesday.
Samson's knock came off just 52 balls with seven fours and six sixes, batting through the innings as CSK completed the chase in just 17.3 overs giving a huge boost to their net run-rate.
Electing to bat on a tricky surface, Delhi Capitals were restricted to 155/7.
West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein set the tone with the new ball, returning tidy figures of 1/19, including 14 dot balls.
Reduced to 69/5 in 11 overs, Delhi found some late impetus through Tristan Stubbs (38; 31 balls) and Sameer Rizvi (40 not out; 24 balls), who stitched together a crucial 65-run (off 47 balls) stand to give the innings a respectable total.
Brief Scores:
Delhi Capitals: 155 for 7 in 20 overs (Tristan Stubbs 38, Sameer Rizvi 40 not out; Noor Ahmed 2/22)
Chennai Super Kings 159 for two in 17.3 overs (Sanju Samson 87 not out, Kartik Sharma 41 not out). CSK win by eight wickets.
