New Delhi: Demanding Prime Minister`s
intervention to cancel military delegation`s visit to China,
BJP on Sunday alleged that the decision to go ahead with it after
Beijing denied visa to a senior IAF officer from Arunachal
Pradesh was an "insult" to Indian soldiers.
Terming the government`s decision as "shocking", party
spokesperson Tarun Vijay wondered if "China will now decide
India`s foreign policy.
"Will China now influence our policy towards our armed
forces?...It is humiliating for Indian soldiers from Arunachal
Pradesh. It will be demoralizing for other officers from the
region," he said.
The BJP spokesperson also chose to attack the government
over the age row involving the Army chief VK Singh.
"Government insults and humiliates not only the army chief
but army soldiers. Indian soldiers are being humiliated under
this government. We want that the Prime Minister should
rectify it.
"Why should we send the delegation to China, when that
country does not allow visa to an officer from Arunachal
Pradesh? Tomorrow if our Prime Minister is from Arunachal
Pradesh and China refuses to give a visa to him, will we send
a delegation to that country minus the Prime Minister. A
soldier`s honour is not less than that of the PM," he said.
The BJP leader said that he spoke to Defence Minister AK
Antony this morning who told him to meet him tomorrow.
"Possibly, the Defence Minister does not have full information
about it," he said.
Vijay said the the officers on Special Duty of Minister of
External Affairs SM Krishna explained to him that the officer
was dropped because China issues stapled visas to residents of
Arunachal Pradesh, which India does not accept.
PTI
