launching a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that the vehicular survey being conducted by the Army last week, was an annual affair and said that Banerjee’s antics may have been actually linked to demonetisation, which may have really hurt her.
“We have secured the borders of this country, we have secured the economy of the country. Another bigger decision was to demonetise Rs1,000 and Rs500 notes. As a result many are facing a problem. Some days back, I was listening to a statement of a Chief Minister of a State. Army was conducting a survey. It is a routine,” the Defence Minister said, while addressing an election rally in Mayem Assembly constituency in North Goa district.
“We can understand the hurt because of the cancelled notes, but why blame the Army. Army does not go into politics. You will never see the army doing politics. Indian Army is a civil controlled Army. There is no need to drag them into controversy, but that day I actually saw what really is political frustration,” the former Goa CCM also said, while condemning Mamata’s outburst against the Indian Army on December 2, which was also raised in Parliament.
Mamata had accused the Indian Army of staging a coup, but Parrikar further went on to explain just how routine the exercise being conducted by the Armed forces really was. “The movement is in 10,000s or 15,000s and if one truck carries 20 (personnel), then you do the division... For 1,000 (troops), 50 trucks then for 10,000 (troops) they will need to move 500 trucks. What is the carrying capacity of the roads, how many lorries do nearby villages have, the Army keeps a record of this once or twice a year,” he said.
“Twice every year, at times once in some places (they conduct a survey) about how many vehicles can travel on a road. If the army has to conduct a movement, they need to move soldiers, they are not hundred or two hundred in number,” he said.
“They keep track of passing vehicles. The reason they chose a toll plaza is because at a toll plaza, a vehicle stops and you can ask for more information,” Parrikar also said, adding that he was shocked by Banerjee’s reaction.
“What the chief minister thought one doesn’t know. There was chaos at night. When I was going to sleep, I saw a flash on TV that army has taken over. When enquired they said that we have communicated everything, written letters. One date they said, could be a hindrance, even there we have suggested what needs to be done,” the Defence Minister said.