The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has slammed the Caravan magazine for its article on the caste census of the 40 personnel killed in the Pulwama attack, and said everyone in the force identifies themselves as Indians. Calling the article shameful, objectionable and divisive CRPF’s chief spokesperson Moses Dhinakaran said that this "pathetic divisiveness of caste, colour, and religion doesn't exist in our blood".
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “We in CRPF identify ourselves as Indians. Not more, not less. You should strictly refrain from insulting all the martyrs. They are not statistics for your demeaning and meaningless write-up."
Tagging the news report, he further said, "The magazine should strictly refrain from insulting all the martyrs as they are not statistics for your demeaning and meaningless write-up”.
An article published in the Caravan magazine gave the caste break-up of the 40 personnel killed in the Pulwama terror attack and said that most of those killed were from the lower castes.
The article triggered widespread outrage and social media users criticised the magazine for publishing it in the first place.
Condemning the article former Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti tweeted that a jawan fights for India and not for a Hindu, Muslim or Sikh and said that it's time to rise above this petty mindset.
The force had earlier issued advisories cautioning people against "fake pictures" being circulated online of body parts of the slain men and bogus messages being shared in the backdrop of harassment of Kashmiri students in various places in the country after the terror attack.
Forty CRPF personnel were killed and five injured on February 14 in one of the deadliest terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their bus in Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir.
The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.
The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the attack.
(With inputs from agencies)
