Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks about the Indian Army, saying that the armed forces should not be dragged into politics and that such statements hurt their morale.
Addressing a public rally in Jamui district of Bihar on Wednesday, Rajnath Singh said, “What has happened to Rahul ji? He is raising the issue of reservations in the armed forces. By demanding reservations in the armed forces, he is trying to create chaos in the country. Our forces are above all this. The army should not be dragged into politics.”
On Tuesday, while addressing an election rally in Kutumba, Bihar, Rahul Gandhi made a controversial statement regarding the army.
He said, “If you look closely, 90 per cent of the country’s population belongs to Dalit, Mahadalit, backward, extremely backward, or minority communities. If you look at the list of the 500 largest companies, you won’t find a single person from the backward or Dalit communities there. They all come from the top 10 per cent. All jobs go to them. The army is also controlled by those top 10 per cent. You won’t find representation for the remaining 90 per cent of the population anywhere.”
Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan also attacked Rahul Gandhi over his statement. He said, “It is extremely unfortunate to make such a remark about the army. If the Leader of the Opposition (in Lok Sabha) himself looks at the armed forces through the lens of caste and religion, nothing could be more shameful than that.”
Paswan reminded Rahul Gandhi that if he was so concerned about this issue, he had ample opportunity to address it during the long years of Congress rule. He asked, “You and your family ruled this country for the longest time. If you wanted to divide the army on caste lines, why didn’t you do it then?”
Addressing another election rally in Bihar, Rajnath Singh claimed that there is a clear wave in favour of the NDA, asserting that the ruling alliance will form the next government in the state with a two-thirds majority.
He also accused the RJD of intimidating people during its rule in the state while praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
He said, “There isn’t a single corruption case against Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Before the first phase of voting, there is a clear wave in favour of the NDA. We will form the next government with a two-thirds majority.”