The Bharatiya Janata Party has lodged a protest with the Election Commission (EC) over the reported statement of Uttar Pradesh Minority Development minister Md Azam Khan on Muslim’s role in Kargil war victory but and that it was an attempt to divide the army on religious lines.
“We have lodged a protest with the EC over the statement of Azam Khan as it was a conspiracy to influence a section of the voters on communal lines,’ BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said while talking to reporters here on Wednesday.
“Never in the past, Army was involved in the election campaigning in the country. This is the first time that the Samajwadi Party, in nexus with the Congress, is trying to bring army in the poll agenda. This surely will have a bad impact on the morale of the army jawans,’ he said.
Pathak said that earlier Congress tried to communalise the Indian army by ordering head-count on communal and caste lines. “After the effort of the Congress failed now Azam Khan is trying on the same lines,’ he said.
Pathak made it clear that involving army in the campaign shows the narrow mindset of the SP and Congress to use even our army for their political gains.Meanwhile the EC has sought a report from the District Magistrate of Ghaziabad on the statement of Azam Khan along with the CD of his speech. On Monday last, Azam Khan in his speech in Ghazaibad claimed that Muslim soldiers were responsible for fighting and winning the Kargil war during the NDA regime in 1999.
Meanwhile Congress also condemned the statement of Azam Khan and demanded stern action against the cabinet minister. ``Army and defense personnel are above caste and religion and they fought for the country with true spirit of nationality and even sacrifice their lives”, claimed chief spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Virendra Madan saying that even in Kargil war, the army comprising of jawans of all castes and religions fought and won the battle so the statement of Azam Khan should not be just condemned but required severe action. Madan claimed that Azam should be given some lesson by the Election Commission as he had a habit of giving objectionable comments just to remain in highlight.