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.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

"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