Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive a ceremonial salute from 16 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel who won gallantry medals for their participation in Operation Sindoor on the occasion of 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' parade in Gujarat on October 31, Friday.
The nation is observing 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the nation's first deputy prime minister and home minister.
"The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event to be held on October 31 at Ekta Nagar in the Narmada district of Gujarat is going to be extremely special this time. The day and the event are symbolic of the unity and harmony of our great country," BSF Director General (DG) Daljit Singh Chawdhary said during a curtain raiser press conference here.
According to the BSF DG, Prime Minister Modi will be the chief guest of the event, where the 16 decorated BSF personnel will be joined by five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel for the parade. These central armed policemen were honoured with the Shaurya Chakra for their dedication and valour in thwarting Pakistani attacks during Operation Sindoor. They will be seated atop a moving vehicle during the parade, the senior officer added. The PM will also receive a guard of honour from a contingent led by a woman officer, he added.
The BSF personnel were decorated with the police medal for gallantry (GM) on Independence Day for displaying "conspicuous bravery" and "unmatched valour" during Operation Sindoor.
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Operation Sindoor was carried out by the three defence forces along with the BSF along the western border, targeting terrorist and military facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from May 7 to 10. Apart from the 16 winners of the gallantry awards, two BSF personnel were posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra (third in precedence after the Param Vir Chakra and Kirti Chakra) for their contributions during Operation Sindoor. A government gazette issued on October 4 stated the story of their brave act undertaken on May 10 at the border outpost (BOP) Kharkola in Jammu. The medal was announced on Independence Day in August.
Another highlight of the event will be Riya, the Mudhol hound, and Lily the Rampur hound — the first Indian breed dogs to have been trained for high-risk operations, descending from a helicopter with a commando and river rafting, news agency PTI reported.