Instead of babus, stand by defence forces: Amarinder
Wednesday, 14/09/2016
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=164986&boxid=58929&uid=&dat=2016-09-14
Chandigarh : Taking a strong exception to the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar asking the services chiefs to implement the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations despite their genuine objections, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh asked him to stand by the defence services and not the babus in the government who not only know nothing about the defence services, but also seem to be congenitally hostile towards the services.
Capt Amarinder said Parrikar had no right or authority to order the services chiefs to accept what is not acceptable to them. He said, he had once again shown his inability to understand the services. “You can order them in operational matters and they will do as ordered, but on what grounds can you order them to accept the 7th Pay Commission recommendations when these are prejudicially biased against them?” he asked, while adding, “Is this Nazi Germany and are you Hitler to issue such a dictatorial order?”
The former Punjab Chief Minister said, the three chiefs are reflecting the views of each and every soldier in uniform or out of it. “Instead of you standing by your defence services you are toeing the line set by your babus,” he told the minister while asking, “Do you realise the implications of your attitude?”
“You have a highly disciplined force, perhaps the only pillar in our democracy that works without ever commenting or objecting,” he observed, while adding, “Do you want a disgruntled service?”
He said, “If the services are to lose their standing by placing them below the babus and the police, that is exactly what you will have, and then God help our country with a belligerent China and Pakistan around. Will you then lead your babus into the battle?”
He asked Parrikar to look beyond the babus and stand by the forces. “Demoralising them will affect the security of our nation,” he warned, while asking him to either stand by the services or quit as the PM can perhaps find another defence minister and a better one.
