Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the opposition, accusing them of neglecting national security and politicizing issues related to the armed forces.
PM Modi, invoking historical references, criticized the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Congress party for allegedly undermining the Indian military during the 1962 Indo-China war. He accused the opposition of unfairly blaming the military leadership under then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s tenure for the defeat suffered by India.
“1962 mein, pandit Nehru ke aura ka gubbara jo phoot gya, China ke haathon jo hamari pitaayi huyi,” Modi asserted, highlighting what he perceives as the opposition’s historical mismanagement of national security crises.
Modi further accused the Congress of exploiting the sentiment of military veterans for political gains, particularly regarding the issue of One Rank One Pension (OROP). He alleged that the opposition had made empty promises regarding OROP implementation, symbolized by the act of throwing currency notes, without a genuine commitment to addressing the concerns of retired armed forces personnel.
“What it means to implement OROP, they (Congress) didn’t understand. We came and implemented OROP properly,” Modi proclaimed, contrasting his government’s approach with what he portrayed as the opposition’s tokenism.
The Prime Minister’s address underscored the political significance of national security and military welfare in India’s political landscape. By directly targeting the opposition, Modi sought to position his government as the true custodian of national interests and defenders of the armed forces’ dignity.
Modi’s remarks in Haryana reflect the ongoing political rhetoric surrounding issues of national security and military welfare, setting the stage for further debate and discourse in the lead-up to the upcoming elections.
