Hyderabad: Rashtrapati Nilayam acknowledged the receipt of a letter written by 156 veterans against the politicisation of defence forces but an official spokesman said the letter hasn’t been signed by the ex-service personnel.
The veterans also discovered that the Election Commission had remained silent over their complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The veterans asked that when the Election Commission cautioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for saying ‘Modi ji ki Sena’, why can’t it pull up the Prime Minister for saying ‘Mera (my) Air Force ’.
Among the incidents they cited was Mr Modi, during a rally in Latur, Maharashtra, on April 9, appealing to first-time voters to dedicate their vote to the IAF which carried out the air strike in Pakistan.
On April 14 in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Modi pointed to a newspaper report which stated, ‘India called Pakistan’s bluff with air strikes: PM Modi”. On April 17, Mr Modi mentioned the Balakot airstrike at a rally in Chhattisgarh.
Following these instances, the veterans wrote to the Election Commission. Complaints were also filed by Kolkata-based Mahendra Singh, president of the West Bengal Forum for Mental Health. He alleged that the EC was not uploading complaints on its website, especially those against Mr Modi.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Major Priyadarshi Chaudhary (retired), who worked on the veterans’ letter to the President, said: Rashtrapati Nilayam has acknowledged receiving the letter because we followed up with the postal officer. The spokesperson has said the letter did not have the signature of the 156 veterans. But the fact is that it was endorsed by the veterans and I personally signed the letter.”
He said the EC was been avoiding complaints about the PM. “Recently BJP president Amit Shah in a rally said Modi sent ‘his Air Force; to destroy terrorist in Pakistan. Does the PM own the forces?”
The EC spokesperson was unavailable for comment.
