Stepping up its attack on the BJP-led government over its reported order asking the armed forces to publicize its flagship schemes, the Congress on Friday called it “misuse and abuse of power” by the ruling dispensation and termed it “unlawful”.
Stepping up its attack on the BJP-led government over its reported order asking the armed forces to publicize its flagship schemes, the Congress on Friday called it “misuse and abuse of power” by the ruling dispensation and termed it “unlawful”.
The grand old party also urged the chiefs of the three services – Army, Navy, and Air Force – to reject this order and approach President Droupadi Murmu for presidential reference. The president is the supreme commander of the armed forces.
Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters, the Congress’s chairman of the ex-servicemen department, Col Rohit Chaudhry (retd) said, “The Department of Defence (under the Ministry of Defence) has issued a circular asking to the three armed forces asking to publicize the flagship schemes of the Modi government, like Ujjwala Yojana and PM Awas Yojana. The department circular issued on October 6 asked to set up 822 selfie points. We outrightly reject it.”
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Accusing the ruling BJP of making political capital out of the reputation of the armed forces, he said, “Will our country’s soldiers now campaign for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi? The Modi government is weakening the Army. This is misuse and abuse of power. It is an unlawful order.”
“Army is not the personal property of the BJP, RSS, and NDA (National Democratic Alliance). Our view is that there should not be political posters in the hands of the Army. The use of the Army to fulfil political ambitions will have far-reaching implications. It can pose a security threat to the country,” Chaudhry said.
He also claimed that people who come under the Army Act, Navy Act, and the Air Force Act are prohibited from campaigning for any political party.
Chaudhry added, “We will write to the chiefs of the three services and urge them to not to consider it and refer the same for ‘presidential reference’.”
Notably, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier slammed the BJP over the matter.
“By capitalizing on the popularity of the brave soldiers of our Indian Army who protect the nation, Modi ji is promoting him. The Modi government has asked the Army to set up 822 selfie points across the country to promote government schemes,” Kharge wrote in a social media post.
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