MoS Defence Subhash Bhamre was surrounded and subjected to sloganeering, souring the mood in the government a day before Army Day.
New Delhi: A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman skipped the annual Army Day celebrations in the capital on Monday, the mood in the government had been soured by an unusual ruckus and heckling of the junior defence minister by military veterans, ThePrint has learnt.
Modi and Sitharaman were both conspicuous by their absence from the celebrations on 15 January, despite being in New Delhi. It is said that they were busy with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s India visit, something armed forces veterans have openly questioned.
Eyebrows raised
Army Day is celebrated every year on 15 January, with the President of India being hosted at the Army chief’s home in the evening. As per tradition, the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister as well as other senior functionaries take part in the hour-long ceremony that culminates with an informal tea session.
This year, however, no senior government minister was seen at the event. Both Modi and Sitharaman were said to be busy attending to the Israeli PM and his delegation. The government was represented by junior minister Bhamre, while officials present at the function included National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and both the foreign and defence secretaries.
Official records of the Ministry of External Affairs, however, contradicted this explanation for Modi and Sitharaman’s absence. They showed that the agreement-signing ceremony and formal lunch for the Israeli delegation ended by 3 pm, an hour-and-a-half before the Army Day function.
Eyebrows were raised at the function over the absence, with several veterans openly speaking out.
“Unusual definitely. Much speculation on that among retired senior officers,” former Army chief Ved Prakash Malik tweeted.
The PM had skipped the last Navy Day and Air Force Day functions as well, as he was travelling to Gujarat at the time. However, previously, he had regularly attended the events.
The Bhamre incident
On 14 January, Bhamre was chief guest at a Veterans’ Day open house meeting at the Army’s Manekshaw Centre, organised by the Ministry of Defence.
What should have been a cordial event deteriorated into a ruckus with a group of veterans surrounding the minister, and raising slogans demanding better pensions and “full implementation” of the One Rank, One Pension policy.
The protesting group included Maj. Gen. (Retd) Satbir Singh, who has had a controversial run spearheading street protests for enhanced pensions.
Bhamre had to be escorted out of the venue, with most veterans present condemning the ruckus and sloganeering at the function.
Since the commotion, several emails and messages have flooded veterans’ forums against Satbir Singh.
“It was a very poor show on part of those along with you who raised slogans during the Veterans’ Day Function at Delhi,” one message read.
“It was unbecoming of a veteran General even to attempt sabotaging an austere function organised to honour veterans – a happening that you never even bothered about when you were in service. Let me tell you openly and honestly, whatever respect I had for your efforts in mobilising armed forces veterans to unite for the cause of OROP is diminishing due to your activities and conduct with malicious intent. You are only doing damage to the veteran community and family pensioners,” another said.
“Was not expected from veterans when participated and organised by serving soldiers and was against our decorum,” yet another read.
Several photographs of the heckling and surrounding of the junior minister have also been circulated.
(ThePrint tried to reach out to Satbir Singh for comment but he did not respond. The story will be updated if and when he does.)