New Delhi: The turf war between the Indian Army and the Union home ministry has escalated over the control of the Assam Rifles, the country's oldest paramilitary force engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast besides guarding the India-Myanmar border.

The Assam Rifles, which was formed during British rule in 1935, is under the operational command of the army but is administratively helmed by the Rajnath Singh-led home ministry.

Government sources said the long-standing spat between the defence and home ministries over who would control the force had resurfaced after the army recently suggested at a security meeting that the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) be replaced with the Assam Rifles at the India-China frontier.

The home ministry has rejected the proposal outright, saying the ITBP was raised on October 24, 1962, specifically to guard the border after the India-China war.

"The home ministry has rejected the proposal to remove the ITBP from the China frontier. Instead, it now wants full control of the Assam Rifles, but the army is unwilling to give up operational control of the force," said a home ministry official.

The issue, he said, has now been forwarded to the cabinet committee on security.

The ITBP reports to the home ministry, which had in the past struck down the army's proposal for control of the paramilitary force, saying in case of a face-off with the Chinese army it often leads to confusion as to who is in charge at the border - the army or the ITBP.

The ITBP protects the China border that passes through Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The home ministry maintains that as per international conventions borders are guarded by paramilitary forces and the army remains behind the first line of defence.

The Chinese People's Armed Police, also a paramilitary force, guards the border while the People's Liberation Army is stationed behind them.

Sources said the home ministry wanted the BSF, which mans the border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, to also take control of the 1,643km Myanmar border and the Assam Rifles to be deployed in central parts of the country to lead counter-insurgency operations under its control.

"The Assam Rifles has failed to contain insurgency in the Northeast even after being deployed for years. The home ministry has recommended that the BSF replace the Assam Rifles at the Myanmar border," another home ministry official said.

The army has put up a stiff resistance and wants the entire administrative and functional control of the Assam Rifles.

"Opposing the home ministry's move, the army has recommended that the Assam Rifles continue to guard the Myanmar border. The final decision has to be taken by the cabinet committee on security," said a defence ministry official.