5,000 central forces' troops to join International Yoga Day event at Rajpath

NEW DELHI: Over 5,000 paramilitary troops will join ranks with other enthusiasts to perform 'asanas' on June 21 to mark the International Yoga Day celebrations at Rajpath here.

The largest contingent comprising 1,200 personnel each is drawn from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Border Security Force (BSF) followed by 700 personnel each from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

"More than 5,000 paramilitary troops and officers will be attending the event at the main venue at Rajpath on June 21. Apart from these, these forces will hold parallel camps to mark the occasion across the country," a senior official said.

The central paramilitary forces are deployed for rendering a variety of internal security tasks in the country under the command of the Union Home Ministry.

These contingents will be led by a team of senior officials at this event which will see close to 40,000 people undertaking synchronised yoga manoeuvres in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a few of his Cabinet colleagues, government officials, NCC cadets and foreign diplomats at the venue in Luytens Delhi.

Apart from these contingents, the forces have also asked their field formations in border areas, anti-Naxal operations grid and high-altitude areas to hold special yoga sessions to mark the event.

The commandos of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) will be doing their Sunday session of yoga at their garrison in Manesar near here with newly appointed force chief R C Tayal in attendance.

ITBP troops deployed in upper reaches in Ladakh will also undertake these sessions on the said day while CRPF men posted in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas will also join in to mark the International Yoga Day.

CRPF Director General Prakash Mishra will officiate at a similar camp with his troops at a base here on Sunday morning.

The yoga celebrations are being held in Delhi after the United Nations had in December last year declared June 21 as International Yoga Day, with 177 countries voting in favour.

The proposal was mooted by the Prime Minister during his first address to the UN General Assembly in September 2014.