Congress slams govt over Sainik Schools

New Delhi, April 3

The Congress today cited media reports to allege favouritism in the way the Modi government handed over 62 percent of new Sainik Schools in the country to BJP-RSS leaders and close allies of BJP.

No influence on selection process

The political or ideological affiliation of the applicant institution does not influence the selection process. MoD

The Congress party asked the ruling party to stop ‘messing with the Army’. “This is clearly a conspiracy to ‘communalize’ and ‘politicize’ the Army,” the Congress posted on X. The party said this was a conspiracy to establish the ideology of RSS in the Army. The Congress in its post on X appended a list of people associated with BJP-RSS who have been assigned to run Sainik Schools of the country. The Congress list mentioned Pema Khandu CM of Arunachal; BJP leader Sadhvi Ritambhara; BJP MLA Sarita Bhadauria; BJP MLA Mahant Balaknath Yogi; BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil; BJP leader Hariram Ranwa; former minister Sadbhau Khot; Nidhi Pathak, wife of BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak and former BJP general secretary Ashok Kumar Bhavsangbhai Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence said that insinuations, that allocations were based on political or ideological affiliations, are unfounded. A rigorous selection process was followed, the ministry said. Schools which applied to be Sainik Schools were evaluated by a committee comprising the district magistrate as chairperson and principals of nearby existing Sainik Schools and Navodaya Vidyalayas.