New Delhi:
Union Minister of State for External Affairs General (retd) V K Singh has said that the Indian Army does not belong to any political party and that if someone calls it ‘Modi’s army’ then he is a traitor to the country.
“If someone says that the Indian Army is Modi’s army, then he is not only wrong but also a traitor to the country. India’s Army belongs to the country, it does not belong to a political party,” Singh was quoted by BBC as saying.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a rally in Ghaziabad on Sunday, referred to the Indian Army as ‘Modi ji ki Sena’ (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Army).
“Congress ke log aatankvadiyon ko biryani khilate the aur Modi ji ki sena aatankvadiyon ko goli aur gola deti hai (Congress fed terrorists biryani while Modi’s army feeds them bullets and bombs). Congress people use "ji" for terrorists like Masood Azhar but under the leadership of PM Modi, the BJP government is breaking the backs of terrorists by striking their camps,” he had said.
Interestingly, Adityanath was campaigning for sitting MP and Union minister V K Singh.
On Wednesday, the Election Commission issued a show-cause notice to Adityanath and asked him to reply by April 5.
Sources in the poll panel said, prima facie, Adityanath has violated the EC's advisory of keeping armed forces away from political campaign.
The Election Commission had on March 19 asked political parties to "desist" from indulging in any propaganda involving actions taken by defence forces during their Lok Sabha poll campaigns.
The advisory was issued days after the poll panel asked parties and their candidates against using pictures of defence force personnel in their campaign material.
"...Parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces," it had said.
Former Navy Chief Admiral L Ramdas had Monday said he would approach the Election Commission against Adityanath for his remarks and claimed that many veterans and those in service were upset over it.
