Capt. Amarinder Singh PPCC chief
Chandigarh, October 25, 2016
Punjab Congress president Capt. Amarinder Singh has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in the interest of the morale of the Indian Army, if the latter fails to quit immediately.
“You cannot allow such an incompetent jokers to continue to hold such a sensitive portfolio,” Captain Amarinder told Modi in a strongly worded statement issued here on Tuesday.
He condemned the Defence Minister’s diktat downgrading Army ranks as compared to their counterparts in the civil administration.
Reacting strongly to a report in a section of the media that a new defence ministry letter has downgraded the status of military officers across ranks, Captain Amarinder charged Parrikar with meticulously and shamelessly chipping away at the morale of the Indian Army in order to satiate vested bureaucratic interests.
According to the report, a colonel, who was until now equivalent to a director, has now been downgraded to a rank equivalent to a joint director. Similarly, a director-ranked civilian officer has been equated to a brigadier, and so on.
Expressing shock at this evident `mischief-plus’ by bureaucrats, with the ruling political establishment playing into their hands, Captain Amarinder urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene and have the ministry’s totally unacceptable and unjustified decision revoked without a minute’s delay.
“You can imagine what the effect of low morale will be on the country’s strength against its enemies,” the Punjab Congress chief warned the Prime Minister, asking, “who will bear the responsibility for the army losing its morale?”
“You will be squarely responsible for any loss of morale. Are you and your government prepared to take the onus of putting India’s strong army on the path of self-destruction, which could eventually lead to the nation’s destruction,” Captain Amarinder demanded to know from Modi.
The attempt by Parrikar to humiliate the Army is a continuous process, which needs to be immediately put a stop to, said the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief, adding that the partisan and bureaucrat-centric approach of the minister could cause the nation to pay a heavy price.
Captain Amarinder said Parrikar had time and again proved himself to be worst defence minister in India’s history. Accusing Parrikar of total incompetence, the Punjab Congress leader said not only is the defence minister clueless about his job but is also actually a joker who likes clowning around with everyone around him.
“Unfortunately, he has now chosen to clown with the Army, which cannot be allowed at any cost,” said Captain Amarinder Singh. “You cannot play around with the Army to further your interests,” he told Parirkar.
“As an ex-soldier of the Indian Army I know what an army personnel deserves, and a proper ranking is just one of those things,” said Captain Amarinder, adding that depriving the army personnel of their rightful due could not but lead to massive erosion of their morale, which needs to be prevented come what may.
Flying drones and gliders banned in Gurgaon
Chandigarh October 25, 2016
Haryana government has banned lying of remote driven drones and gliders in district Gurgram from October 28 to November 1, 2016.
An official spokesman said that the ban has been imposed as a security measure in view of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Gurugram on the occasion of Haryana Swarna Yayanti Samaroh on November 1.
He said that these orders have been issued by District Magistrate, Gurgram Mr T.L Satyapraksh under Section-144 of Criminal Procedure Act-1973.
He said that directions have also been issued to furnish details of sale and purchase of old vehicles in the district, especially Ambassador Cars and it was mandatory to provide names of buyer and seller, address and identity proof. He said that Police Officers have been directed to be prepared to tackle any untoward incident.
The spokesman said that there would also be a complete ban on holding any procession or stage dharna in the district without prior permission of the district administration. These orders would come into force with immediate effect and would be effective upto November 1, 2016. He said that people have been urged to celebrate Diwali festival with the spirit of peace and brotherhood. The people have also been urged to refrain from taking part in any protest, procession or dharna.