Rajnath Singh praises BSF Jawans for protecting borders

Ferozepur, Oct 17: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh praised BSF jawans for guarding the border describing the force as the country's "formidable first wall of defence" as he urged them to take care of the people living on the country's frontiers.

Addressing a gathering of officials and Jawans here, the Union minister emphasised that the BSF had the honour of being the largest border guarding force in the world.

"It is doing exemplary work in protecting the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders," he said. He referred to the force as the country's formidable "first wall of defence", according to a release issued by the BSF here.

The Home Minister said that people living in the border areas were strategic assets of the nation and appealed to the BSF personnel to take care of them. Earlier, Rajnath Singh and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh paid floral tributes at the memorial of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.

The Union Home Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed viewers' gallery at the Indo-Pakistan Joint Check Post at Hussaniwala here. The new gallery will be able to accommodate over 5,000 visitors. Built at a cost of Rs 16.39 crore, the foundation stone of this gallery was laid down by then home minister, P Chibambaram, on October 22, 2010.

Everyday, a large number of people come to witness the retreat drill. BSF DG K K Sharma and senior functionaries of the Punjab government were present at the event.

PTI