KASARGOD: Senior Congress leader and former Defence Minister A K Antony took a dig at the BJP for “using” the armed forces for political gains. “I am a former defence minister, who had the longest stint. I have never mixed politics and defence matters,” he said.
The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have no religion and caste, he said. “They are the defenders of India and Indians. I am not willing to drag them into politics,” he said.
At an election rally in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said: “Congress people used to serve terrorists biryani, but Modiji’s Sena (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Army) gives them only bullets and bombs. That’s the difference. 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.” The EC pulled him up and asked him to be careful in the future.
Antony said he took pride in the armed forces. “I worked with them for seven years and a half. I salute their sacrifice, they are on duty round the clock, at 48 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan, and even at -40 degree Celsius in Siachen. I am not ready to drag them into politics,” he said.
‘Has Pinarayi got the pluck to speak against PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat?’
Periya (Kasargod): The Congress, which is under relentless attack of the Left parties for fielding party president Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, turned the tables on the CPM by asking if Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will go to Gujarat to speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, the CPM was borrowing the words of the BJP to attack Gandhi because his candidature had rattled the Marxist party, said senior Congress leader A K Antony. In a bid to call the CPM’s anti-BJP stance ‘mere posturing’, Antony threw a bunch of counter questions: “I want to ask the CPM one question. Where is the CPM fighting the BJP? Is there any place where the CPM leaders are taking on BJP leaders?”