{"id":60426,"date":"2019-04-13T19:05:48","date_gmt":"2019-04-13T13:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/?p=60426"},"modified":"2019-04-14T12:57:50","modified_gmt":"2019-04-14T07:27:50","slug":"armed-forces-veterans-write-president-politicians-using-political-gains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apnlive.com\/india-news\/armed-forces-veterans-write-president-politicians-using-political-gains\/","title":{"rendered":"Armed forces veterans write to President against politicians using them for political gains"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On April 11, more than 150 armed forces veterans \u2013 including three former Army chiefs, four former Navy chiefs and a former Air Force chief \u2013 wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind, who is also the Supreme Commander of armed forces of India, complaining about the way political parties have been continuously using armed forces for political gains ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.<\/p>\n
The letter requests the President \u201cto take all necessary steps to urgently direct all political parties that they must forthwith desist from using the military, military uniforms or symbols, and any actions by military formations or personnel, for political purposes or to further their political agendas.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hearby respectfully urge you to take all necessary steps to urgently direct all political parties that they must forthwith desist from using the military, military uniforms or symbols, and any actions by military formations or personnel, for political purposes or to further their political agendas,\u201d the 156 veterans said in the letter dated April 11.<\/p>\n
April 11 was the first phase of the general election and the final phase falls on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.<\/p>\n
The veterans referred to the \u201cunusual and totally unacceptable practice\u201d of political leaders taking credit for military operations like cross-border strikes and even being called \u201cModi ki sena\u201d referring to recent comments by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.<\/p>\n
The veterans also referred to photographs of the election campaign in which \u201cparty workers are seen wearing military uniforms; and posters and images with pictures of soldiers and especially of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, displayed\u201d.<\/p>\n
They expressed concern that the EC directive did not appear to have \u201cresulted in any substantive change of behaviour and practice on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
They also say in the letter that political parties are disregarding the model code of conduct and expressed apprehensions that \u201csuch incidents may only increase as polling day draws near\u201d.<\/p>\n
They stated that such ‘misuse’ of the armed forces \u201cwould impinge adversely on the morale and fighting efficiency of the serving man and woman in uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe therefore appeal to you to ensure the secular and apolitical character of our armed forces is preserved,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n
The 156 signatories include eight former service chiefs \u2014 General Sunith Francis Rodrigues, Shankar Roy Chowdhury Deepak Kapoor, Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, Vishnu Bhagwat, Arun Prakash, Suresh Mehta and Air Chief Marshal NC Suri.<\/p>\n
However, as per media reports, some veterans, among them Air Chief Marshal NC Suri and former Indian Army chief General SF Rodrigues, denied endorsing any such letter. Some said that the letter is fake. Initially, at least, Rashtrapati Bhavan also denied having received the letter that was e-mailed to the President.<\/p>\n
One of the former army chiefs General SF Rodrigues, whose name figured in the letter, was reported by news agency ANI as saying: \u201cDon\u2019t know what it (purported letter written by armed forces veterans to Pres) is all about. All my life, we’ve been apolitical.Aftr,42 yrs as officer, it’s a little late to change. Always put India first. Don\u2019t know who these ppl are, classic manifestation of fake news.\u201d<\/p>\n
Air Chief Marshal Suri told ANI the letter was \u201ccoming on WhatsApp and emails. To put an end to it I wrote that armed forces are apolitical and support the politically elected government. My consent has not been taken for any such letter. And I do not agree with whatever has been written in that letter.\u201d<\/p>\n
About Rashtrapati Bhavan, ANI reported: \u201cRashtrapati Bhavan Source denies receiving any letter supposedly written by armed forces veterans to the President which is circulating in the media.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also Read:\u00a0Rafale deal: Cong calls Modi middleman for \u2018Double A\u2019 after French report of tax relief to him<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Later, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the press she found the letter \u201ccondemnable\u201d and dismissed it as \u201cfake\u201d propaganda issued by \u201cvested interests\u201d.<\/p>\n However, on Saturday, Major Priyadarshi Chowdhury, a retired infantryman of the Sikh Regiment and the officer who sent the letter, countered these statements. Meanwhile, veteran Major General Sudhir Vombatkere also responded to the controversy with a letter of his own, in which he noted having “meticulously recorded the email responses” the veterans sent.<\/p>\n Noting that \u201cthe letter to the President was also termed “fake news” by a senior minister of the central government\u201d, Maj Gen Vombatkere said, \u201cThe writer had meticulously recorded the email responses of Veterans who had endorsed the letter to the President, in the time-sequence of their receipt, and the responses of all three senior Veterans who had denied having endorsed the letter are on record. Some of these are already in the public domain.<\/p>\n As regards the regrettable comment of this letter being “fake news”, it is necessary to state that the letter is neither news nor is it fake. The letter is an appeal to the President of India to uphold the a-political character of the Armed Forces, of which he is the supreme commander.\u201d<\/p>\n