Jantar Mantar deployment: CRPF personnel without name tags sparks criticism from experts

Allegations that CPRF forces removed name tags during the deployment at Jantar Mantar to deal with student protesters has drawn criticism

Allegations that the Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) forces removed name tags during the deployment at Jantar Mantar to deal with student protesters has drawn criticism from experts and retired personnel, who say that the strategy, commonly used in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas and Jammu and Kashmir, is inappropriate for the situation.

Several videos have circulated online, particularly from police action on July 20, of protesters questioning both CRPF personnel for not wearing their name tags (ANI)

Several videos have circulated online, particularly from police action on July 20, of protesters questioning both CRPF personnel for not wearing their name tags in central Delhi. Neither organisation has officially addressed the matter.

Commandos and jawans often remove both their name tags and rank insignia in conflict zones, such as LWE areas and J&K to prevent personnel from being identified and targeted, said experts.

“It is always safer to conceal your rank and identity in those areas. The same cannot and should not be followed in Delhi, where you are dealing with students,” said retired CRPF additional director general HR Singh.

To be sure, there is nothing in the CRPF rules mandating either the wearing off or the removal of tags during active deployments.

“This is not the way to deal with student protesters. You are in the national capital, surrounded by hundreds of journalists. You are not operating in a conflict zone where you need to conceal your identity,” said retired CRPF sub-inspector Ranbir Singh.

Former Uttar Pradesh director general of police Vikram Singh, however, defended the practice. “Whenever there is an adversarial situation—whether it is law and order or a terror-related deployment—it is standard operating procedure to remove all marks of identification so that personnel cannot be identified later. I would not blame the forces.”

CRPF spokesperson and senior officials did not respond to HT’s requests for comment.

While conceding that the velcro can sometimes come off, Ranbir Singh said, “But if everyone is without a name tag, it suggests orders were issued to go without name tags. This doesn’t happen on its own.”

A serving officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said this creates “bad optics” for the force.

“In Bastar, security forces even cover the flaps on vehicles where officers’ rank stars are displayed. CRPF officers would sometimes paste wedding invitation cards on their vehicles to conceal their identity while travelling through insurgency-hit areas. Police stickers pasted on vehicles, which are common elsewhere, would not be seen in Bastar. Such were the threat levels. Those measures are justified in a conflict zone, but not when dealing with student protesters near Parliament,” the officer said.

Speaking as president of the Alliance of All Ex-Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association, HR Singh appeals to police and CAPFs to exercise restraint while handling student protests. “Many videos that have surfaced show excesses in handling students. We appeal that wherever necessary, crowd management drills and standard operating procedures should be reviewed and updated to ensure they are consistent with democratic values, human rights and modern best practices,” he added.