By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 3 Jun: Col Ajay Kothiyal (Retd), Chairman of the Uttarakhand State Ex‑Servicemen Welfare Advisory Council and a senior BJP leader, has raised serious questions over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed visit to Pauri. Addressing a press conference at the Uttaranchal Press Club here, today, Kothiyal described Gandhi’s visit as merely politically motivated and urged him to confront the concerns of soldiers and ex‑servicemen directly. Col Kothiyal alleged that the Congress is using the pretext of a soldiers’ dialogue for electoral politics and demanded that Gandhi clarify his position on matters of national security, defence preparedness and the honour of the armed forces.
Kothiyal said that while Rahul Gandhi is welcome in Uttarakhand, he must not shy away from answering the questions of soldiers and veterans. He noted that the army should remain above politics, yet Gandhi’s visit appeared to be driven by electoral considerations. He added that the soldiers expect Gandhi to look them in the eye and respond to their queries during the proposed soldiers’ conference, and that the leaders attending such events must come fully prepared to address the curiosity and concerns of the soldier community.
Col Kothiyal criticised Gandhi for being largely absent from Uttarakhand in recent years and surfacing only in the election season, suggesting that his itinerary has often been dominated by foreign trips to Thailand, Germany and Hong Kong. Kothiyal quipped that, if Gandhi’s ticket mentions “UK”, he should know it refers to Uttarakhand and not the United Kingdom, and warned against trivialising the visit.
Emphasising that the honour of soldiers and ex‑servicemen is paramount, Kothiyal recalled that disparaging remarks made in the past about retired soldiers visiting the village of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat amounted to an insult to the soldier community. He demanded that Gandhi publicly apologise to Gen Rawat’s family and the people of Uttarakhand, noting that Pauri is Rawat’s birthplace and that Congress leaders’ earlier statements had hurt sentiments.
Kothiyal further accused Gandhi of questioning the authenticity of the Army’s surgical strikes and air strikes, asserting that Congress must clarify its position on matters of national security. He also criticised the Congress era for shortcomings in defence preparedness, citing concerns over the availability of modern weapons, bulletproof jackets and military equipment, and said the party needs introspection. He argued that, if Gandhi is genuinely committed to soldiers’ honour, he should address these issues openly and without ambiguity.
Kothiyal also expressed scepticism about Rahul Gandhi’s proposed soldiers’ dialogue in Pauri, calling it part of an electoral agenda and maintained that the people of Uttarakhand and ex‑servicemen are aware of such political manoeuvres and will reject them. Kothiyal urged Gandhi to focus on his party’s internal disputes instead of politicising soldiers’ concerns. He contrasted this with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated visits to Uttarakhand, where he highlighted the state’s development, military pride and cultural heritage on national platforms, while accusing Congress of making statements that undermined the morale of the armed forces.
Kothiyal emphasised that the political parties must show sensitivity towards soldiers’ honour and welfare and that Gandhi should use his visit to clarify his stance before the soldiers and the people of Uttarakhand. He added that he hopes that Gandhi will act in the national interest and perhaps achieve this through genuine dialogue with ex‑servicemen.
