New Delhi: Five retired lieutenant generals, a former colonel and a retired wing commander Saturday joined the BJP, boosting its claim of being the only party capable of taking care of the nation’s security.
The seven veterans of the armed forces were welcomed into the BJP by Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the party’s headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyay marg in the national capital.
Soon after joining the BJP, the officers said that the Modi government had completely changed the perception that India’s response to terror attacks was weak or ineffective.
Also read: Inspired by PM Modi, former vice chief of army Sarath Chand joins BJP
Those who joined BJP
These veterans are Lt General (retired) S.K. Patyal, who was deputy chief of Army staff and ex-DG, military intelligence, Lt General (retired) J.B.S. Yadav, who was former deputy chief of Army staff, Lt General (retired) R.N. Singh, former director general military intelligence, Lt General (retired) Sunit Kumar, former DG (Information Services and IT), Lt General (retired) Nitin Kohli, former DG manpower planning and personnel services, Colonel (retired) R.K. Tripathi, former deputy judge advocate, corps headquarters, and Wing Commander (retired) Navneet Magon, who was in the Air Force’s medical services.
The BJP has been claiming that it is the only party that takes care of the welfare of the armed forces and party leaders in several occasions have pointed out that it had implemented the One Rank One Pension scheme that had been a long-pending demand of retired and serving armed forces personnel, which previous governments had denied to implement.
Praise for PM’s anti-terror policy
The retired officers were all praise for Modi for his policy against terrorism.
“When we look at these last five years, we see that our Prime Minister and his ministers have taken a large number of historic decisions,” said Lt General (retired) S.K. Patyal. “For example, two of the defence corridors have been established, tremendous focus has been given on defence manufacturing, which we used to procure from outside, major thrust has been given to DRDO, Ordinance board and private industry,” he added.
“The hardest decision that our PM took (was) to go deep into the heart of terrorism and then strike it,” Patyal said.
Lt General J.B.S. Yadav (retired) said he would want to thank the BJP and party chief Amit Shah, who has honoured him and others by inducting them into the party. “I agree that it is believed that defence forces will not go with any party. But, every person has a right to political thought. Our country is passing through a crucial phase. There is no leader like PM not just in the country, but in the whole world. We can’t just stay on sidelines. I believe our country will flourish under him,” added Yadav.
Also read: Former chiefs of Army, Navy, Airforce claim armed forces being used for political gains
why mani shanker iyer abstain from the election campaign?
Is he dead in air strike?
I shudder one day are we going to see BJP, Congress, CPI, etc Armed forces instead of regiments. We should pray that serving should not fight against each other for and against ruling party
It may have been more decorous if Raksha Mantri had not been present at this function. Her job requires her to oversee a completely politically neutral and impartial force.
When retired defence personnel write open letters asking people to vote against the present government, pseudo secularists cheer them on. When some of join BJP, their right of choice is criticised by the same pseudo secularists. The ordinary people of this country can see through this charade.
Politicization of Indian army has begun under the Modi-Shah BJP. Long ago Murli Manohar Joshi tried it when he was the defence minister, by suggesting that armed forces should be supplied with copies of Bhagavad Gita. I don’t know who shot down that idea : some army generals or AB Vajpeyi.
Boredom makes a man do weird things. Otherwise it is unthinkable that these senior soldiers who have spent a lifetime upholding secular values will now want to join a party which represents the most hateful face of Hinduism. It calls it Hindutva. If These generals have joined the BJP hoping that they will find a way to keep busy with interesting activity – – by becoming ministers like VK Singh, or ambassadors – – then they are in for a disappointment. This party is on its way out. I don’t know if each of these officers had a distinguished career when they were young, but in their old age they have smeared a blot on it by acquiescing with a political party which encouraged killing of innocent humans in the name of an animal, by overlooking killing of a police officer on duty, for the same reason. These are sad developments for Mother India.
Cheese and chalk. One hopes the veterans realise these are dissimilar domains. An IAF Court of Inquiry has concluded the Mi17 helicopter was brought down by a missile fired from a battery at Srinagar airport. The findings are not to be made public till after the general election is concluded. It is issues such as these on which these veterans will have to abide by the party line.
HOW COME ONLY 7 seven out of more than few MILLIONS Veterans HAVE JOINED BJP. After mis treatment of veteran in the Pension demand.
REMEMBER THAT CRP Jawan YADAV who complaint of “WATERY DHAL AND SOOKA ROTI with dam cold CHAI” was dismissed when he complainted of poor food .IT WAS SEEN ON NATIONAL TV the DHAL WAS WATERY”
HOW CAN THE RM EVEN IGNORE THIS. HOW CAN BJP GOVT EXPECT THE SOLDIERS TO COMPROMISE in in the FOOD SERVED TO THEM IS THIRD RATE.
THESE JAWAN HAVE GIVEN THEY BEST FOR THE COUNTRY , THE SACRIFICES, THE HARD WORK, STRESS. THE FAMILIES MAKE UNTOLD SACRIFICES and THIS BJP GOVT HAS GIVEN THEM THE BOOT. WE LOST 49 JAWAN in PULWAMA ONLY BECAUSE OF POOR INTEL and SECURITY FOR the TIN POT BUSES THESE JAWANS WERE TRANSPORTED IN.
PLEASE DO NOT ABUSE OR TREAT OUR JAWANS GIVE THEM THEY DUES, SALARY< PENSION AND GOOD FOOD THE ARMY CANNOT RUN ON EMPTY STOMACH. WHILE OUR PM and RM enjoying 7 star life style. WHAT HAPPEN TO 36,000 crores kickback and commission given by Rafael scam to Fekoo and ANIL AT THE COST OF COUNTRY DEFENCE
Prem ji, You are a joker and a fool. No body before and after talked about a watery dhal. Is it possibly a mistake of a poor cook in the military. Even if it is true do you have to create a whatsapp video? Even the Supreme Court has said the Rafael deal is Clean and no reason to probe further because of somebody is imagining things.
No baba , our ministers are trying new foods to be introduced for our Jawans. Like the expensive imported mushrooms, process is ongoing for last 5 years and may take some more. They can wait, I mean they have been for all this time. And as Mr.Balan below comment, he’s the new CJI probable as he know what even SC hasn’t , pointed out All is Well and cleared of all charges