Navy ex-chief writes to EC over ‘Modi ji ki Sena’ remark by Yogi

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 2

Indian Navy ex-chief Admiral L Ramdas has shot off a protest letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Sunil Arora, against the remark ‘Modi ji ki sena’ (Modi’s Army) made by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath at an election rally on Sunday.

“The Armed Forces are not a private force belonging to any individual or political party, and therefore any suggestion to that effect is completely unacceptable,” Admiral Ramdas said, asking the EC to take suitable action to arrest such irresponsible actions.

Admiral Ramdas, who lives in Maharashtra, had some three weeks ago, expressed concerns about the growing ‘politicisation of the armed forces by political parties’.

The EC had issued guidelines advising political parties to refrain from using pictures or images of armed forces in their campaigning for the forthcoming General Election.

At a rally on Sunday, Adityanath, while campaigning for sitting MP and Union Minister VK Singh in Ghaziabad, said: “Congress ke log aatank-wadiyon ko biryani khilate the aur Modi ji ki sena aatankwadiyon ko goli aur gola deti hai (Congress people would feed biryani to terrorists, while Modi’s Army gives them bullet or bomb).

The remarks have also not gone down well with the military.

“This was exactly the kind of development I was fearing when I wrote to you last month,” Admiral Ramdas said, adding as one of the senior most former chiefs of the Armed Forces, I consider it is my duty and responsibility to bring to your notice the fact that we, the armed forces of the country, owe our allegiance only to the Constitution of India.”