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3 min readNew DelhiApr 2, 2026 05:08 PM IST
As the Lok Sabha took up the Bill, Rahul Gandhi said in a video statement that it amounted to “injustice” to the paramilitary forces. (Photo: Facebook/Rahul Gandhi)
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged on Thursday that the government had deliberately scheduled the debate on the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, on a day when he was touring Assam to prevent him from speaking on the legislation.
As the Lok Sabha took up the Bill, Gandhi said in a video statement that it amounted to “injustice” to the paramilitary forces and was being pushed through by overriding the Supreme Court.
Gandhi spoke about his recent meeting with CRPF jawan Ajay Malik, who had lost his leg during a faceoff with Naxals. “He lost his leg, but was still very confident and had not lost hope. Despite not having a leg, he wanted to fight for the country. He had one complaint – that he was ready to give his life, but his organisation has not given him a promotion for 15 years. He is not alone. There are lakhs of Ajay Maliks. There isn’t a single paramilitary force which has the top leadership which comes from within it,” said Gandhi.
Ajay Malik, an assistant commandant, lost his leg as he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Jharkhand during anti-Maoist operations and was admitted to AIIMS.
The Bill aims to replace the fragmented rules governing the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo‑Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) with a single unified framework.
Earlier this week, Opposition MPs termed the Bill unconstitutional and claimed that it sought to nullify a 2025 Supreme Court judgment to phase out deputation of IPS officers in the CAPFs. They also urged that the Bill be sent to a select committee.
Gandhi said on Thursday that the top leadership of paramilitary forces is imposed on them. “Why is this wrong? Because paramilitary forces have certain skills, understanding. I have worked with paramilitary forces for 20-25 years. They look after my security. They have particular niches. These skills are valuable. They have practice and the same officers with practice should get leadership. If you get someone from outside, the person will not understand the soul of the organisation. This is fundamentally wrong,” said Gandhi.
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“We have opposed it; the Supreme Court has opposed it; and now the government is once again overriding the Supreme Court. It is ridiculous. These people are being asked to fight terrorism, Naxals…asked to die. They are being injured. Then, we are telling them they cannot run their organisation. It is ridiculous,” said Gandhi.
He said that what the government has done is “unfair”.
“I wanted to speak in Parliament and they have brought the Bill on a day I am touring Assam. I sent a message to the government that I want to speak on this and they should adjust the dates. They did not. They do not want me to speak. I want to tell all paramilitary forces that we are with you, and when we are in government, we will give you justice,” said Gandhi.
Asad Rehman is with the national bureau of The Indian Express and covers politics and policy focusing on religious minorities in India. A journalist for over eight years, Rehman moved to this role after covering Uttar Pradesh for five years for The Indian Express. During his time in Uttar Pradesh, he covered politics, crime, health, and human rights among other issues. He did extensive ground reports and covered the protests against the new citizenship law during which many were killed in the state. During the Covid pandemic, he did extensive ground reporting on the migration of workers from the metropolitan cities to villages in Uttar Pradesh. He has also covered some landmark litigations, including the Babri Masjid-Ram temple case and the ongoing Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute. Prior to that, he worked on The Indian Express national desk for three years where he was a copy editor. Rehman studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow and then went on to do a bachelor's degree in History from Ramjas College, Delhi University. He also has a Masters degree from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. ... Read More
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