scorecardresearch
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomePoliticsBJP vs BJP: Swamy complains to the President against defence minister Sitharaman

BJP vs BJP: Swamy complains to the President against defence minister Sitharaman

Follow Us :
Text Size:

Raises issue of FIR lodged against Army in J&K for Shopian incident; asks President Kovind to summon minister and ask for explanation about why FIR was allowed.

New Delhi: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has fallen into the firing line of senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who has written a strong complaint to the President, expressing displeasure over her handling of a police complaint against the Army in Jammu and Kashmir.

Swamy, who had earlier moved a notice against the minister in Parliament, has asked President Ram Nath Kovind to summon Sitharaman and seek an explanation on how an FIR was filed against Army soldiers for the Shopian firing incident, in which three civilians were killed last month.

In a strong letter, Swamy has questioned Sitharaman’s silence over a statement by J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that the FIR was registered against the Army with the permission and sanction of the defence minister.

“I had demanded the RM (Raksha Mantri) make a clarificatory statement on whether she had indeed given the J&K government the required sanction or nod for this treacherous FIR, which today has demoralised the Army whose jawans and officers are getting killed almost daily in J&K,” Swamy wrote.

Invoking Article 77(1) of the Constitution, which says all executive actions of the government are taken in the name of the President, Swamy has asked Kovind to seek a clarification from Sitharaman and “take action you deem fit”. Swamy also said that he had written a letter to PM Narendra Modi on the matter as well.

The Shopian incident, in which a stone-pelting mob was fired at by the Army after its soldiers were severely injured, has become a major controversy after an FIR was registered accusing a young Army Major for the killing. A civilian crowd had started pelting stones on an Army convoy passing through the Ganovpora village, knocking off a junior commissioned officer and resulting in injuries to others.

Soldiers fired on the crowd after the situation went out of control, the Army has said.

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

7 COMMENTS

  1. If Hon’ble Union RM had not objected to the FIR she owes explanation to the Nation. She has tarnished her image in the minds of brave hearts.

  2. Dr Swamy is absolutely right in questioning the Def Min for according sanction to the CM J AND K FOR LODGING FIR AGAINST THE ARMY JAWANS.IN ANY CASE THEY ARE NOT FIGHTING THEIR OWN BATTLE.THEY ARE SACRIFICING FOR OUR MOTHER LAND.INFACT THEY MUST BE INSTRUCTED TO BE RUTHLESS AND KILL MORE AND MORE OF THESE TRAITORS.DR SWAMY DESERVES TO BE THE NEXT PM OR DEF MIN

  3. Swamy is masking the real reason for his grudge/complaint against RM/Defence Min. here . Real Reason is silent connivance to dubious Rafael Deal. Actually UPA/NDA really cannot interfere in Army matters esp in strong hold on J&K policy .this FIR business is a eyewash/hogwash..
    Swamy is a clever chanakya who both wants to have the cake and eat it too here. i.e he wants to clear the scam mess as well as not get any political damage to his party.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular