Modi used soldiers' sacrifices to garner votes: Congress
New Delhi, Sep 28: The Congress on Friday slammed the Central government for celebrating "Parakram parv" on the second anniversary of the 2016 surgical strike, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP of always using "soldiers as a tool to garner votes".
The government had earlier decided to observe "Parakram Parv" from September 28-30, commemorating the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces, on the occasion of the anniversary of the cross-LoC (Line of Control) military strikes.
The Congress said the 2016 attack was not the first time that India had inflicted surgical strike and listed a number of such attacks carried out in the past.
"We are proud that our forces have successfully conducted multiple ‘surgical strikes' over last two decades, particularly post the year 2000 -- January 21, 2000 (Nadala Enclave, across the Neelam River); September 18, 2003 (Baroh Sector, Poonch); June 19, 2008 (Bhattal Sector, Poonch); August 30-September 1, 2011 (Sharda Sector, across Neelam River Valley in Kel); January 6, 2013 (Sawan Patra checkpost); July 27-28, 2013 ( Nazapir Sector); August 6, 2013 (Neelam Valley); January 14, 2014 (Army Chief, General Bikram Singh's statement qua surgical strike on December 23, 2013); September 28-29, 2016 (DGMO's statement)," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said.
He accused the Central government of "compromising national security", saying in 52 months of its ruling the country, Jammu and Kashmir alone has lost "414 security personnel and 259 civilians in Pakistan-sponsored terrorism".
He challenged Modi to concede that he has "failed" in keeping the borders secure by allowing a "500 per cent increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan, since May 2014".
"Where is the '56-inch chest' missing as Pakistan commits more than 3,000 ceasefire violations at the LoC and international border?," he said.
He alleged that Modi "squandered national interests by arbitrarily reducing the number of (Rafale) fighter aircrafts required by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from 126 to 36", and buying the aircraft at 300 per cent higher price than its original cost at the time when the deal was struck by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Surjewala accused the government of meting out a "step motherly treatment" to the armed forces by slashing the defence budget to 1.58 per cent of the GDP, which was "lowest since 1962", and also of neglecting a report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, which exposed that "68 per cent" of the Army's equipment were "vintage" and that there was no money to buy emergency weapons.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
