Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 30: Amid the controversy over the alleged use of pellet guns during the NEET paper leak protests in the national capital, CRPF Director General Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Wednesday assured personnel of full support, urging them to perform their duties without fear.

Addressing personnel at the CRPF investiture ceremony, Singh said he would take responsibility for all decisions and actions taken by force personnel in the bona fide discharge of their duties, whether during operational deployments or law-and-order situations.

"As the Director General of the CRPF, I want to assure each one of you that whether it is an operational battalion or a law-and-order unit, whatever decisions you take and whatever actions you carry out in the bona fide discharge of your duties, I take responsibility for all those decisions and actions," he said.

He further told the personnel to continue carrying out their responsibilities fearlessly, adding that he would shoulder the accountability wherever required.

"Continue to perform your duties fearlessly. Wherever responsibility or accountability needs to be taken, I will take it as the Director General," Singh said.

The remarks come amid mounting criticism over the police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) response during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), in which protesters marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament demanding action over the NEET paper leak issue.

The protest turned violent after clashes broke out between demonstrators and security personnel, triggering a political row.

Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that several protesters had sustained pellet injuries and accused the police and RAF of using electrically charged batons and nail-studded lathis during the agitation.