By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 29 March: BJP today launched a scathing attack on the Congress, claiming that those who used to insult the mortal remains of martyrs during their governments by sending them home without due respect and protocol are now busy spreading confusion about the Agniveer Yojana. In an informal chat with the media persons at the BJP’s Election Media Centre here, today, Chief Spokesman of the party Suresh Joshi claimed that, while PM Modi is carrying forward the Agniveer scheme with the aim of a strong army and prosperous nation, the Congress is trying to mislead the people and the youth about the scheme. He reminded that BJP had honoured the soldiers by making a senior army officer Maj Gen BC Khanduri (Retd) a Union Minister and then the CM of Uttarakhand. Even the present CM of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, is the son of a soldier of the country.
Joshi claimed that the Chief Minister is working day and night to develop the state.
Hitting back at allegations against Agniveer Yojana, Joshi asserted that the Congress leaders have no moral right to question issues related to the army. He alleged that it was the Congress whose governments used to send the mortal remains of the martyrs to their homes along with a black blanket and box along with information about the martyrdom on a postcard. This system was followed for 5 decades after independence by the respective Congress Governments. The Congress Governments could not care less even when thousands of hectares of Indian territory were annexed by enemy countries. No development was done in the border areas allegedly due to some strategic reasons. Joshi reminded that the entire country saw the Congress Defence Minister admitting on the stage of Parliament that their government did not pursue plans of strategic importance on the borders because their strategy was to avoid direct confrontation with the enemy country.
Suresh Joshi said that it was for the first time in the country when Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government respectfully transported the mortal remains of martyrs to their ancestral homes during the Kargil war. Along with this, work was done to provide adequate financial help to the victim’s family and fulfil all their needs. He said the BJP Government led by PM Modi implemented One Rank One Pension scheme that had been pending for decades and made the lives of soldiers safe by providing them with state-of-the-art weapons and security equipment. At present, the country is much safer as compared to the past when governments could not procure weapons for want of Commission. India is now a major exporter of arms, the BJP Spokesman asserted.
Joshi said, as far as the Agniveer scheme is concerned, PM Modi has implemented it in the interest of the country after due consultations with senior military officers and defence experts. Considering experts and worldwide experiences, this plan, implemented with the aim of creating a strong army and excellent soldiers, is going to lay the foundation of a powerful India. Through this the youth are getting more opportunities for jobs in the army, because in addition to 25 percent permanent appointments, 3 times more youth are getting the opportunity to serve for 4 years. The youth who return to society after serving in the army will be economically strong and skilled. For the Agniveers, unlimited employment opportunities are waiting in government, semi-government, public undertakings, corporate groups and sectors. Not only this, an alternative military cadre of aware, disciplined and capable citizens is also being created, which will be capable of strengthening the country in any adverse situation. Joshi claimed that everyone in the country and the state knows and recognises that BJP moves forward with nationalist ideology.
