STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Punjab Finance Minister and senior Congress leader, Manpreet Singh Badal said that three years of Modi government has witnessed an endangered national security and various failures on foreign policy especially lack of any policy to deal with Pakistan and our neighbours.
Briefing media persons here on Friday, Badal listed various failures and u-turns of Modi government on the issue of internal security, defence preparedness and failures on foreign diplomacy, while lashing out at the self praise and chest thumping to cover up its failures.
Badal said that under Modi regime country witnessed 172 terror attacks, including 12 major attacks in the last 21 months only including Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, BSF Convoy Udhampur, Airbase Pathankot, Army and CRPF Convoy at Srinagar and Pampore, Army Base URI, RR Camp Baramulla, Nagrota, Samba, Akhnoor and Army Camp Kupwara. He mentioned that about 578 jawans were martyred and 871 civilian killed in the last three years, out of which 203 jawans were martyred in J and K alone. He maintained that 271 security men were martyred and 665 civilians killed by Naxals in over 3,517 incidents of Naxyal violence in the last three years.
Badal questioned the success of foreign policy as he said that India’s old ally and all weather friend Russia has lifted the embargo on sale of arms to Pakistan and signed a Military Co-operation Agreement with Pakistan as a result it will deliver M1-35 Helicopters to Pakistan in 2017.
“First time in 70 years Russia and Pakistan even conducted joint military exercise in September 2016. Pakistan has resorted to more than 1,343 ceasefire violations in the last three years which shows the failure of ‘Saree-Shawl diplomacy’ of Modi government and ‘impromptu visit’ of Narendra Modi to Lahore to attend feast, marriages,” he stated.
Badal said China has blocked India’s membership of NSG asking parity with rogue Pakistan, it has gone ahead with 54 billion CPE Corridor through PoK/ Baluchistan linking Gwadar Post in Arabian Sea to China with base for Chinese submarines while Russia has also extended support to the corridor and expressed desire to connect it with Eurasian Economic Union. China has already vetoed declaration of Masood Azhar as an international terrorist but inspite of all this India’s imports from China increased to over 60,000 crores of value of Chinese goods, he alleged.
Badal referred to the defence preparedness of Modi Govt. and said that against the demand of 45 squadrons, IAF fighter fleet has fallen to the record lowest in 10 years, to 32 squadrons. After cancelling UPAs purchase of 126 Rafale Aircraft, BJP announced “of the Shelf” purchase of 36 Rafales in 2016 but till date not a single aircraft was delivered or price fixed. Congress approved raising of Rs. 64,678 Cr. investment on ‘Mountain Strike Corps’ along China borders with 90,274 additional soldiers, but this is in lurch.
Badal asserted that our armed forces are facing a shortage of 9,242 officers, 25,472 JCOs and 52,000 Jawans. “Our defence budget has been drastically reduced besides allocated amount remained unspent in three years.
He said against the demand of armed forces for over Rs 1,32,597 crore in 2014-15 an amount of Rs. 94,587 crores was allocated while Rs 12,622 crores remained unspent, similarly in 2015-16 against allocation of Rs 94,587 crore, Rs 79,958 crores were spent and in 2016-17 total allocation was Rs 86,340 crore out of which Rs 79,370 crore were spent. Besides reduction in budget and less allocation against the requirement of armed forces, Rs 32,555 crore remained/ returned unspent in three years. These figures explain the defence preparedness and the robustness of Modi government defence policies, in the wake of increased external threats, he added.
“The duplicity of BJP for the sake of power is totally exposed. BJP forgot the slogans made during elections and betrayed their electorate as a result there is strong resentment and anger against the present dispensation in the State.
There seems no headway to the deteriorated security situation in the State,” Badal said.
After taking lead in ending the ‘Lal-Batti’ VIP culture, the Punjab Government has decided to end the foundation stone culture, Badal said, adding that only major projects would be inaugurated with foundation stone, that too without mentioning the name of Chief Minister or ministers. “It is tax payers’ money which is being re-circulated and invested for people’s needs,” he said.
Among others who were present in the press conference include Sham Lal Sharma, Raman Bhalla, Ravinder Sharma, Manjit Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Th. Manmohan Singh, Namrata Sharma and Anil Chopra.
