New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) Congress MP Imran Masood on Wednesday took a swipe at former Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, over his remarks that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the armed forces complete operational freedom ahead of Operation Sindoor, saying that if Chauhan was keen to enter politics, he was free to do so.
This comes as General (Retd) Anil Chauhan on Tuesday revealed that ahead of Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the armed forces full operational latitude and left it to military commanders to determine when to act.
Speaking at the Vivekananda Centre in New Delhi, General Chauhan recalled the discussions that preceded India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack and said the government had made its position on cross-border terrorism clear.
According to General Chauhan, PM Modi did not ask the armed forces to launch the operation immediately. Instead, the Prime Minister left the timing to the military while setting conditions aimed at ensuring the mission was carried out effectively.
“The Prime Minister told us only one thing: That he is not under any kind of political pressure to do it immediately. He said, ‘Do it at your own time, but ensure that there is no reason for failure, either human or because of technical reasons, and we should have evidence of whatever we do.’ And the fourth thing which he told us was complete freedom of action,” General Chauhan had said.
Reacting to the remarks, Masood told IANS, “Keep singing praises of Modi Ji. Look at what happened to the former Army Chief, General V.K. Singh, who entered politics earlier. If you too are eager to enter politics, go ahead and join.”
The Congress MP also reacted to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s remarks that the main contest in the Uttar Pradesh elections would be between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP.
“The battle in the country is between two distinct ideologies. One is led by Rahul Gandhi, and the other is led by Modi Ji. This is a battle of ideologies, and it is a battle for change in the country. In this battle for change, some allies will be on this side and some on that side, but the battle lines are crystal clear. This fight is being led under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” Masood said.
Commenting on the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet’s decision to provide lifelong free bus travel to women aged 60 and above, Masood questioned the practical benefits of the scheme.
“Elderly women over the age of 60 can barely travel on buses,” he claimed.
On the UP Cabinet’s approval to purchase 25 lakh tablets for young people, Masood said that merely providing such incentives would not address the challenges faced by students and the youth.
“Luring them will not help. In the last five years, 70 IIT students, the top achievers and rank holders, have died by suicide. If students from premier institutes like IITs are committing suicide, you can understand the grim reality of what is happening in the country,” he said.
Masood further accused the government of increasingly relying on contractual employment instead of providing permanent jobs.
“The government is already running on a contract basis; where is it not? They do not want to provide permanent jobs because if they do, they will have to implement reservations. So, they will run everything on a contract basis,” he said.
Reacting to the Allahabad High Court’s ruling that the hijab is not part of a school uniform, Masood said personal choices regarding clothing should not be viewed through a religious lens.
“What someone chooses to wear or not wear should not be viewed through the lens of religion. Covering one’s head is part of our culture,” he said.
“You have a problem when someone is covering their head, and you have a problem when someone is not covering their head. So, it is up to them what they want to do,” he told IANS.
Responding to BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s criticism of actor Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement, Masood said, “Kangana has never looked at what she herself has worn, yet she goes around commenting on others’ clothes.”
–IANS
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