New Delhi: Yogi Adityanath’s remark dubbing the Indian Army as ‘Modi ji ki sena’ (Modi’s army) during an election campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created a political firestorm on Monday with the Opposition leaders attacking the Uttar Pradesh chief minister for ‘insulting and humiliating’ the force.
Amidst the opposition attack on Adityanath for his remark, the Election Commission has also asked the district magistrate of Ghaziabad to submit a report so that it can be checked whether there was any violation of Model Code of Conduct as it has already asked political parties to “desist” during their Lok Sabha poll campaigns from indulging in any propaganda involving defence forces.
The Commission will examine the remarks to ascertain whether the model code of conduct has been violated, they said.
Hitting out at Opposition parties over a host of governance issues, while campaigning for Union minister V.K. Singh in Ghaziabad on Sunday, Mr Adityanath, said what was ‘impossible’ for the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party is possible under the BJP rule.
“Congress ke log aatank-wadiyon ko biryani khilate the aur Modi ji ki sena aatankwadiyon ko goli aur gola deti hai (Congress people would feed biryani to terrorists, while Modi’s army gives them bullet or bomb). This is the difference,” he said.
These comments left the Opposition up in arms with the Congress saying, “Adityanath’s usurpation of Army’s valour by calling it ‘Modi’s Army’ is an insult to our martyrs as also to the valour and sacrifices of our bravehearts”.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said “It is shocking to hear the UP chief minister saying that the Indian Army is the ‘Modi Sena’. Such blatant personalisation and usurping of our beloved Indian Army is an insult and a humiliation.”
