Rahul Gandhi & Congress netas walk out of Defence panel meet after stormy row; CDS present

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other members of his party on Wednesday walked out of a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, according to sources. Congress leaders alleged that the panel's time was being wasted in discussing armed forces' uniforms instead of the crucial issue of national security, sources told news agency PTI. This after Rahul Gandhi has for months on end attempted to make a political meal out of India and China's stand-off and escalated tensions in Galwan and Eastern Ladakh.

'Politicians should not insult them': Rahul Gandhi

The agenda of the meeting was a briefing by the representatives of the Ministry of Defence on 'An introduction to the rank structure of the defence forces including their uniforms, stars and badges' and 'Review of working of cantonment boards'. However, Rahul wanted to raise the issues of Chinese aggression and better equipping the soldiers at the border in Ladakh but was disallowed by the panel chairman Jual Oram (BJP).

The sources said the issue of uniforms of the Army, Navy and the Air Force was being discussed in the presence of the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat when Rahul Gandhi intervened.  A presentation on the colour of uniforms in the Army, Navy and Air Force was being made to the Committee when a BJP member called for uniformity in the uniform colour of the three forces as in the United States.

However, the former Congress chief said the Army, Navy and the Air Force should decide what the colour of their uniform should be, and not the politicians. "The politicians should have no business to tell the Army, Navy or Air Force which uniform to wear and it is neither their jurisdiction nor domain and should not belittle them or insult them. The political leadership should instead provide hot tents, boots and equip the soldiers who are braving out at the border and are fighting the Chinese in Ladakh," Gandhi was quoted as saying at the meeting.

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According to the sources, Gandhi said, "The leadership should also focus on how to push back the enemy and support and strengthen the armed forces rather than dictating the colour of their uniforms." This led to a heated exchange at the meeting. The committee chairman did not allow Gandhi to speak further, following which the Congress leader decided to walk out, the sources said, adding party members Rajeev Satav and Revanth Reddy also left the meeting along with their leader.

Rahul Gandhi has been attacking the government over the issue of Chinese aggression. The BJP, however, had hit back, saying the Congress leader had been skipping the meetings of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence. 

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