Republic Day parade: Armed cover to Gandhi's samadhi to be CISF tableau

The armed cover provided by the CISF to Raj Ghat, the 'samadhi' of Mahatma Gandhi, in the national capital will be showcased in the force's tableau that has been inducted in the Republic Day parade after a gap of 11 years.

The float of the central paramilitary force, tasked with securing vital installations like airports and nuclear power installations, will be led by the model of the Raj Ghat followed by the depiction of CISF personnel securing other important facilities across the country.

The about 1.70-lakh personnel strong force is celebrating its golden jubilee this year. A senior official said the tableau was prepared as part of the theme of Mahatma Gandhi during this Republic Day parade on Rajpath.

A number of other tableaus will also showcase the life and work of 'bapu' as the country is celebrating his 150th birth anniversary this year.

CISF personnel, armed with AK series assault rifles, were first deployed at Raj Ghat in 2013. The force also secures the common 'samadhi sthal' near ITO and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's memorial in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu for the past several years.

"The tableau also depicts CISF security to Kishanganga hydro-electric project in the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, security provided to Red Fort, space installations and Indian airports.

"The presence of a bust of female soldier with outstretched hands highlights the fact that CISF has the largest percentage of women personnel among all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) of India," a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) spokesperson said.

While the force will have its tableau, it will have no marching contingent on Rajpath this time as the teams of border guarding forces like BSF, ITBP, SSB and that of CISF have been kept out of the ceremony.

Marching and band contingents of the Assam Rifles, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Delhi Police, the famed camel contingent and band team of the Border Security Force (BSF) will be part of the parade along with those of the three armed forces.