Would rather die than politicise army: Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that he would rather die than politicise the armed forces.

“Congress Party believes that army is not a political weapon. I will never ever in my life use army as a political weapon. I’ll die but never politicise the armed forces,” Gandhi said while addressing a public meeting in Bhiwani, Haryana.

Earlier on Saturday, condemning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment that surgical strikes during the previous Congress government were “video games”, Gandhi said that the former has insulted the Indian Army.

“Army is not a personal property of Mr. Modi. Surgical Strikes are done by the Armed Forces. When Mr. Modi says Surgical strikes during Congress govt were “video games”, he doesn’t insult Congress, he insults the army,” Gandhi said while addressing a press conference in New Delhi.

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“We do not politicise Army. It belongs to the country, not any one person and we need to respect that. Prime Minister should have some courtesy to not insult the Army,” he added.

Time and again, PM Modi has been witnessed using armed forces in his rally speeches. This is when the Election Commission has instructed political parties to desist from using armed forces for political gains.

While addressing a public meeting on April 9, PM Modi urged first-time voters to dedicate their votes to soldiers who lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack and those who carried out Balakot air strikes.

On April 21, while addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Barmer, Modi had said that their nuclear weapon is not meant for Diwali. “Every other day they used to say ‘we have nuclear button, we have nuclear button’. What do we have then? Have we kept it for Diwali?” he said.

Complaints regarding the same have been filed before the EC but the poll body has failed to initiate any action regarding the same.