Rahul Gandhi can still contest from Amethi
The former Congress president may file his nomination from the Amethi seat after the polling in the Wayanad seat to be held on April 26
Terming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s walkout from the Parliamentary defence committee as totally justified, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged the Speaker to look into the working of the committee, which he dubbed as `absurd’, with members discussing the type of polish to be used on buttons and shoes of the uniform instead of strategizing on ways to counter the joint China-Pak threat.
“With both China and Pakistan breathing down India, the committee should have been discussing strategic security issues and the urgent requirements of our forces and not the polish they need to shine their shoes and buttons,” said Amarinder, himself an ex-Army man with extensive knowledge and experience of security issues as well as the workings of such panels.
“People who know nothing of the defence forces are made to sit on these committees now and we expect them to protect the nation,” said Amarinder, expressing shock that political affiliations were guiding the functioning of the panel, whose chairman probably had not even ever been part of the NCC.
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Underlining the need to raise the level of debate in these meetings, the CM said this is not the forum to discuss what Brasso is needed to polish uniform buttons and shoes, and make issues out of non-issues.
He stressed that senior army officers attend the committee meetings not to talk about petty matters but to discuss more vital subjects of national security and the concerns of our forces, who are fighting out there every day, and losing their lives.
The way Rahul and other Congress members were treated was atrocious, said Amarinder, citing reports that the party Member of Parliament was not allowed to speak.
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