Cong has no faith on security forces, law of land
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today came down heavily on Congress election manifesto provision that calls for dilution of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir saying the Congress wants protection given to Army (under the Act) removed and was hell bent on compromising with country’s security.
Congress election manifesto which was released yesterday by party president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders came under sharp criticism by the Prime Minister during election rallies addres-sed by him at West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.
“Congress election manifesto has promised to remove Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which protects Army and gives shield to our troops. The Congress assurance will only help militants and their mentors sitting in Pakistan,” Modi said.
He said he had described security personnel guarding the borders as ‘Chowkidars of the nation’, which might have angered the Congress and, therefore, they are taking steps that go against the Army.
“Congress wants shield given to Army (under the AFSPA Act) removed. They are hell bent on compromising with security of the country. They want to weaken the security forces. Congress has bowed down before the terrorists. They are openly backing the separatists,” the Prime Minister charged.
“I saw this ‘dhakosla patra’ released by the Congress. It is meant to break the morale of our security forces. It promises removing AFSPA from disturbed areas like Kashmir. This is an attempt to render our brave soldiers helpless in the fight against terror and have their hands and feet tied,” Modi said.
He accused the Congress of being “soft” on terror because of its “appeasement” politics, which was reflected in its Governments scrapping tough anti-terror laws like TADA and POTA.
“We too scrapped over 1,400 obsolete laws from statute books. We have also withdrawn the AFSPA from some areas after peace returned there. The Congress’ election promise will help those peddling terror from Pakistan,” he said, accusing the Congress party of “playing with national security and trying to destabilise the country”.
The Prime Minister said the manifesto showed that the Congress had no faith in the security forces and the law of the land.
“This Chowkidar stands as a wall between the sham manifesto of the Congress and national security. This manifesto has come with an expiry date–May 23 (the day poll results will be announced). On May 23, both the Congress and its ‘dhakosla patra’ will be gone,” he said.
Asserting that the Congress-led by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) lacked courage and conviction, Modi described the Congress manifesto as “full of corruption, dishonesty and fraud”.
Turning to Congress assurance in the election manifesto to weaken sedition law, the Prime Minister said the Congress has formulated plan for those, who burn tricolor…who abuse India…who shout slogans of not `Jai Hind” but `Bharat Tere Tukde Honge…and those who play in the hands of foreign powers.
“The Congress move to dilute sedition law is aimed at appeasing separatists and those indulging in violence,” he maintained.
Questioning the Congress decision, Modi said the party seems to have developed sympathies with those who don’t agree with the Constitution of India and added that the Congress wants to end sedition law for such people.
Batting for strong sedition law, he said the country can face problems if the people abusing the country are allowed to move freely. He wanted to know whether Congress hand is with the country or those conspiring against it.
Congress manifesto released yesterday had promised to review Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Areas Act in Jammu and Kashmir, promised unconditional dialogue, dilution of sedition law etc.
He accused the Congress and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being sympathisers of Pakistan who wanted to “break the morale” of India’s security forces and make them “helpless” in the fight against terror.
Referring to `Operation Balakote’ carried out by the Indian Air Force at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on February 26 in response to February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 44 CRPF personnel were martyred, Modi slammed opposition parties for seeking proof of the damage done by the Indian Air Force.
“While your chest swelled with pride and you held your head high, some people began crying and shouting here,” he said, and asked: “When the wound has been inflicted there (in Pakistan), why do you (the opposition) feel the pain”?
“Didi’ (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) sitting in Kolkata felt the pain more than those in Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi,” Modi said, taking a swipe at Banerjee, who had demanded proof of the extent of damage inflicted during the IAF raids in Balakote.
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