Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 2

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

“The armed forces are not a private entity 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 as soon as possible to arrest such irresponsible actions.

Separately, former Haryana IAS officer MG Devasahayam has sent a message to the EC saying: “The integrity of the armed forces is being compromised with to deceive people and secure votes.” He urged the Election Commission to initiate firm steps, including the suspension of the political party concerned.

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 General Election.

At a rally on Sunday, Adityanath, while campaigning for sitting MP and Union minister VK Singh in Ghaziabad, said: “Congress people would feed biryani to terrorists while Modi’s army gives them bullets or bombs.” 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,” said Admiral Ramdas. “As one of the seniormost former Chiefs of the armed forces, I consider it 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.”